


The English Rose

by Maisey2k10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Crossover, Family, Humour, Multi, Polyfic!, Post-War, Pre-Eclipse, Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, shape-shifters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:35:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 52
Words: 230,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25025533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maisey2k10/pseuds/Maisey2k10
Summary: Following the death of Voldemort, for her protection against the fugitive Death Eaters seeking revenge, Hermione is sent into hiding along with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Forks was said to be the safest place on earth for her, but they didn't plan for a family of vampires or a pack of shape-shifters worming their way into their lives. Or for three of them, in particular, being exactly what Hermione needed to heal and live. Rated for bad language, violence and sexual content. Bella bashing! Poly fic! HGxPLxJBxEC pairing! Writing in Progress!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Paul Lahote/Jacob Black/Edward Cullen, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any canon events or characters, only those that I create. All rights go to J.K Rowling and Stephanie Myers. I don't make a profit writing or posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies. Rated for language, violence and sexual content. 
> 
> This does have Bella bashing.
> 
> Page count: 9

Hermione's life was a living hell. Well, that was putting it mildly, but there was no other way to better describe it. She'd lost everyone she cared for, whether it was them dying or going into hiding for their safety.

Her parents Richard and Jean Granger had been murdered Christmas her sixth year and from then on she was known as Hermione Black. Why? She had found a way to bring Sirius back from the veil and from that moment forward, they became close. When the Black heir had learned of her parent's deaths –murdered by Death Eaters- he'd barely thought twice before he officially adopted her and despite being of legal age at the time, she hadn't been safe. Sirius Black, regardless of being a well-known blood traitor, was still the heir of House Black and he still carried the name, a name that still offered much protection as well as many connections in the Wizarding World, making Hermione his daughter _and_ heir to the House of Black.

As the war raged on, Hermione left for the hunt with Harry and Ron. Ron had left, she and Harry had walked into a trap and had been injured, very nearly killed. The Horcruxes were destroyed, Ron returned and they were captured, leading to Hermione's was tortured at the hands of one Bellatrix Lestrange, whilst the drawing-room of Malfoy Manor. After escaping with the help of Dobby and Hermione had been given as much medical attention as they were able given their lack of experience and resources, the trio broke into Gringotts and destroyed more Horcruxes before the Final Battle arrived.

Both Harry and Voldemort fell. The light got the upper hand and many Death Eaters were captured or killed. There was still a resistance from the Death Eaters that fled, pledging to continue their master's work, so the battle had given them a massive victory but the war was still not yet won, not completely, not until the remaining sympathises and fugitives had been captured and imprisoned. For that, people would always be on edge, some had fled, some had gone into hiding to protect their families, but for the most part, the Wizarding World was back under the control of the light. Aurors and law enforcement, Order members and volunteers continued to fight the rogue Death Eaters and until they were captured, the war would never truly be over.

Many had died at the Final Battle, many a friend, a mentor, a lover, a family member; Harry and Ron, Ginny, Percy and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Professors Flitwick, Snape and Sprout, Luna, Dean and Seamus. The remaining Weasleys – Charlie, Bill and Fleur, George and a severely injured Fred -likely dead- went into hiding, until they were healed and called for assistance. Neville, his girlfriend Hannah and his Grandmother went into hiding, too, along with many other Pureblood families from both sides of the war.

With Hermione being the only member of the Golden Trio left, she was now Undesirable Number One to the Death Eaters and War Heroine to the public. She'd received many a death threat –more than she could count-, she was in always danger, and she was stalked by the press.

As The Order slowly took control back of the Ministry, they had formed a plan without Hermione's consent, knowing she would refuse such a drastic measure. They'd wished to send her into hiding, somewhere no one would think to look for her, somewhere that she'd be able to low lay and without risk of being tracked, and although she'd hated the idea, Remus and Sirius would be sent along with her, acting as her friends, family and guardians.

They didn't know where their final destination was located; that was sealed in an envelope with wards protecting it, refusing to allow it to be opened before a specific time and date. Sirius had emptied not even an eighth of his vault at Gringotts, removing one million galleons, close to five million muggle pounds. She had no idea why he'd withdrawn so much money, actually fainting when he told her and Remus was just as surprised, having to sit down, neither of them having access of such amounts of money in their lives. When Sirius had informed them that there was still close to forty million in his vault, Hermione, who'd barely recovered from her first fainting spell, fainted once more.

When asked why he'd withdrawn so much money, he replied that just because they were going on the run, into hiding, didn't mean they couldn't do it in _style_ , but still, Hermione could never spend that much money in twenty lifetimes, she had no idea what he planned to do with it all. And quite honestly, she wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know.

Before leaving for their safe heaven, they needed to stock up on supplies. First, the purchased a wizarding tent, newly refurbished and upgraded and it wasn't due to be released for six months, but the name Black carried a lot of weight and so did the hefty bag of galleons Sirius _'gifted'_ the inventor. The tent was said to be more comfortable with better weather resistance and upgraded protective wards, as well as improved Heating Charms. Hermione thought she'd have to see it to believe it.

Next was to purchase a new wardrobe of muggle clothing for the three of them. Buying clothing suitable for both summer and winter since they didn't know where their final destination was located and they needed to be prepared for all weathers.

Sirius all but bought the entire stock of potions ingredients and brewing equipment from the apothecary, ensuring that Hermione would be well equipped to brew potions to help with illnesses, injuries and for Remus' Wolfsbane Potion. He'd also purchased a library worth of books so they could continue with their research, expanding their knowledge of defensive and offensive magic, including wandless and non-verbal.

They had many of Fred and George's defence items they'd invented, not to mention many of their joking products as a reminder that there was still good and laughter in the world. Hermione was sure they would never use them -or at least she wouldn't _allow_ the two Marauders to use them- but they had them to keep up morale. And since they all had a strong suspicion they wouldn't t be in the Wizarding World, particularly London, –the reason they'd purchased muggle clothing over wizarding attire- Sirius had bought out the entire stock of Honeydukes for Remus and Hermione, and the entire stock of butterbeer and fire whisky for himself, from the Three Broomsticks, all to keep them anchored to their roots, and it was a good thing Wizarding alcohol and sweets had a very long expiry date given how much they had to pack.

Hermione had created a few more of her beaded bags for Sirius and Remus, using backpacks as a replacement with a Feather-light Charm, Undetectable Extension Charm and Privacy Charms. They stuffed all of their belongings into their own backpacks and they placed them inside Hermione's beaded bag, along with everything else. They each had their own bag filled with supplies in case they ever had to run and they were separated; it was better to be prepared.

They then left England.

That was two months ago.

They had travelled using apparition, knowing that someone would likely pick up on their trail and so they set a false one, visiting country to country, city to city and town to town. They had been all over the world, both muggle and wizarding, determined to leave a trail to be followed. They visited most of Europe with France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Portugal, then Asia with India, China, Japan, Switzerland, then Australia with New Zealand and Zimbabwe before heading to the Americas with Miami, Houston, New York, Washington, L.A, New Mexico and Arizona, before backtracking to a few of their previous stops. They didn't stay long, only a maximum of four days before they packed up and moved on, long enough to leave a trail and for them to enjoy playing tourists.

But, two weeks ago, they were finally able to open the envelope with the location of their final destination. And that's where they found themselves, in Forks, Washington.

~000~000~000~

**Wednesday 4th October 2006**

They used muggle transportation flying by aeroplane so they couldn't be tracked or followed with magical methods as they no magical trace. Luckily, The Order had thought to have identification and passports made up, even if they were fake, but magic was a beautiful thing and no one would be able to tell the difference. When they landed in Seattle, they glamoured themselves and headed into the Wizarding Community so they could change over some of their galleons into American currency. They didn't stay long, a maximum of ten minutes before they left and hailed a taxi. They made sure to arrive at night as they were less likely to be seen and they had pitched their tent in an area of woods in-between Forks and La Push. They'd been there for only three days but Hermione liked it, it was quiet; she, Sirius and Remus could do what they wished to without hassle or issue. They were left alone and in peace.

Hermione had just finished her walk, she was mapping out the grounds in her head before she applied them onto paper, they were technically in hiding and if they were ever found it would be best if they knew the layout of the land, a home-court advantage. She stopped when she reached the edge of the wards and she raised her wand, checking the wards were still in place before she pressed the tip of it against the invisible barrier and it allowed her to pass through effortlessly. Only Sirius, Remus and herself could get access through the wards and if you lost your wand, you were pretty much screwed.

She looked around and smiled at the sight that met her, the first smile that had graced her face in a long time, the sparkle in her eyes returning. Hermione had changed a lot during the last eight years. She'd grown to a height of five-foot-six and her once almost anorexic figure -from starving whilst on the hunt and after the war health problems- was on its way back to her shapely and petite frame as she no longer had to worry about food and with Sirius and Remus watching every bite she took at mealtimes. Despite the progress she'd made, she still had a long way to go before she was back to full health. Her once bushy hair now fell in soft mahogany ringlets down to her waist, her ivory skin marked in battle wounds and scars, but they could be covered. The biggest change about Hermione was her eyes.

The eyes that once held only warmth and kindness, now held pain, suffering and unshed tears. She had dark, permanent bruises under her eyes, a clear sign of sleep deprivation. Her nightmares plagued her every night without fail and to the point where Sirius and Remus would already be awake, ready for her outburst of terror filled screams. Every night they comforted her and she slept safely in-between them, her two fathers.

But for the first time in months, the first true smile played at her lips, some of the warmth returning to her eyes.

Sirius was well on his way to being drunk and, Remus, surprisingly was the same, although for a different reason. Sirius had opened up his stash of fire whiskey whilst he'd obviously swapped out Remus' chocolates for the twins' alcoholic ones. They were both singing loudly and laughing as they pranced around the glowing fire pit, the flames lighting up the darkened woods and the fire spitting ash into the air and it falling to the ground.

"Snowflake," Sirius greeted cheerfully.

He skipped over to her, his hand wrapping around her wrist and he dragged her over to the fire pit, proceeding to dance around with her as he and Remus continued singing and she laughed loudly, happy to see them having fun.

After half an hour, Hermione produced a Sobriety Potion and force-fed it to the drunken Marauders.

"Why did you do that?" Sirius asked, grimacing and gagging at the after taste.

"You're supposed to be the parent, not me, Padfoot," she replied.

Remus chuckled. "I suppose you're right. And, Sirius, don't think you're getting away with swapping my chocolates and I swear to Merlin himself, if you ate them I'll..."

"Whoa, calm the wolf," Sirius chuckled with his hands up in surrender. "I haven't touched your chocolate," he rolled his eyes. "He gets so testy when the full moon's upon us, two days away."

Remus growled at him in warning and stormed into the tent childishly as Hermione let out a snigger.

"You shouldn't wind him up," she scolded lightly.

"But it's _so_ much fun and he's so cute when he's huffy," Sirius winked at her and Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled.

Hermione was the only person who knew of Sirius and Remus' relationship; they had been together since his return from the veil, the summer before her sixth year. Of course, others had suspected but weren't certain. She didn't care, she loved them. Remus was her second father; he would've signed his name on the adoption papers and made it official but due to the Werewolves Act, Remus was prohibited from adopting a child, but Hermione still thought of him as her father, just as much as she did Sirius.

"Come on, I've mapped out more of the woods."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him up from the log he'd been perched on and they walked to the tent, the tent that had been home for the last two months and honestly, she had never felt more at home, not even at Hogwarts.

The tent was a lot more glamorous than the one they'd used for the World Cup four years prior. On the outside, it looked to be a simple one-man tent made of white fabric and black string holding the tent down to the floor, but the inside couldn't be further from the truth. The capabilities of magic still amazed her, even eight years later.

As she entered the tent with Sirius behind her closing the tent flap, she couldn't help but look around in wonder, no matter how many times she saw it, she still found it difficult to process.

The living room was the first room of the tent and it was open planned, showing the kitchen and dining area. It was a large circular room with dark wooden floors and soft, calming blue walls, white plush, comfortable couches and armchairs, dark glass tables and pastel-coloured cushions placed on the seating areas. To make the room feel homier, Hermione had dug out Harry's old photo album that she still carried in her beaded bag, copied the photos and enlarged them, before transfiguring some wooden frames out of some twigs and sticks and placing them on the empty walls.

There were many photos throughout the tent, reminding them all of what they were fighting for and why they had to be careful. Photos of Harry, Hermione and Ron together, of them in the Gryffindor common room with Neville, Dean and Seamus. Photos of Christmases spent at the Burrow, photos of Quidditch victories, photos from the time of the Marauders with James, Sirius, Remus, Lily and baby Harry. Photos taken at Christmas in sixth year when Sirius and Remus made Hermione smile for the first time after finding her parents murdered. There were even photos of The Order of the Phoenix, Marauder's time and her time. Photos of family and friends.

The walls were lined with bookcases that accommodated the curved walls. There were ten bookcases, each one containing approximately two, maybe three thousand books thanks to magic, and each bookcase held different categories of books; Muggle, Wizarding History, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions, Arithmancy, Magical Law, Magical Creatures and Beings, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Healing, Ancient Runes, Astronomy and to her great displeasure, Divination. Hermione was sure Sirius purchased books on that topic just to annoy her. What shocked her the most was the one warded bookcase containing only books on the Dark Arts, but Sirius stressed the importance of knowing one's enemy and she'd soon conceded his point. If you knew a dark curse, you knew the counter. Therefore, they'd cleaned out the Black library and brought it with them, making sure to leave copies of the books for The Order should they require them.

There was a coal fireplace against the wall with a large and soft rug where Hermione liked to lay at night and read whilst her two fathers argued and teased each other over mundane things. Above the fireplace was the biggest photo they had, it was a family photo of everyone taken at the Weasley's, the day of Harry's 17th birthday. All of the Weasleys were present, along with Remus, Harry, Sirius and Hermione. They were all smiling and laughing and every time Hermione looked at the photo, they waved at her. The floating candles and jars of blue-bell flames provided light, warm and hospitality.

Off to the left was the dining area and it was on a raised platform with two steps that needed to be climbed. The flooring matched that of the living room with a large black wooden table in the centre of the room. Six black matching chairs with soft white cushions surrounded the table, white placemats already set out with the cutlery and a vase of wildflowers sat in the centre. More photos lined the back wall of the dining area, the wall the same shade of blue as the living room.

The dining area and kitchen were separated by a half kitchen counter, there was a black marble countertop with a built-in double sink. By the counter top sat a black double oven and under the counters were light wooden cupboards containing the cooking pans and dishes and above the counter were light wooden cupboards containing food with all the appropriate Cooling and Freezing Charms. There were drawers containing the cutlery and odd trinkets and a kitchen island sat in the centre of the kitchen along with a second sink and three stools that matched the dining room chairs.

A sense of calm filled her whenever she stepped into their home, and she remembered what she was planning to do before she got sidetracked.

"I'll just go and grab the map," she said as she walked to the right of the living room, where a corridor led to another set of rooms.

There had originally been four bedrooms but they'd converted one into a potions lab for Hermione to safely brew. She entered her lab and she let out a small chuckle. The stone walls and floor kept the room cool and reminded her of Snape's classroom, three workbenches sat cauldrons with comfortable stools. There were four cabinets against the walls, obviously enlarged inside and with the suitable charms for storing potions and ingredients. Two of the cabinets held completed potions and vials, all labelled appropriately and organised neatly, the other two cabinets held the potion ingredients, the most volatile ingredients being put into a separate cabinet from the others.

She grabbed the map from the workbench and walked back into the living room, taking a seat on the couch in-between Remus and Sirius and she placed the map on the table and grabbed a pen.

"Okay, so this is us," she pointed to the triangle in the centre of the map that symbolised the tent. "We've already learned that we're three miles from the boundary line of La Push, here," she pointed to the line that had been drawn to show the boundary line. "And we are twelve miles from the boundary line of Forks, here," she pointed to the other line and they nodded. "So that's fifteen miles in width of woods. What we _don't_ know is how far these woods travel in length and that's the information we need. Now, this evening I learned that half a mile east from here there is a cave." She made a cross on the map and wrote 'cave' above it. "I had a quick look but didn't go further," she said quickly when she noticed their disapproving looks and she continued when they looked appeased. "From what I could see, the cave appears to be approximately five-feet wide, eight-feet in height and seven-feet in length, I cast a _Lumos_ and it looked like there was a dip at the end of the cave, so it may go deeper underground." She wrote the measurements down in a differently coloured ink. "It may be worth a look around, see where it leads. It could be useful should the occasion call for it," she suggested and they nodded in agreement.

"Well, this morning I went half a mile in this direction," Remus spoke, taking the pen from her and pointing to the map. "Half a mile south from the tent I found a maple tree."

"You found a tree in the woods, Moony?" Sirius said sarcastically and Remus almost growled at him.

"Papa," Hermione sighed, his face softened as it always did when she called him that.

"Sorry, continue," he said to Remus.

"As I was saying, I found a maple tree, the peculiar thing about this was the tree had been shattered, shards of wood littering the floor and half the tree was still standing, but with serrated edges."

"It could've just rotted," Sirius shrugged.

"No, it looked like it had been smashed, like something had hit it."

"What would cause that kind of damage?" Hermione asked curiously.

"What indeed?" Remus said. "We'll have to be cautious, it could be nothing, but it could be something, too," he replied and they nodded.

"Now, Snowflake, are you ready for your first day of school tomorrow?" Sirius asked her.

"No," she sighed. "Why do I have to go to muggle school? And an American high school at that? Their curriculum and educational system is completely different from Britain's, let alone the Wizarding World's. I'm never going to be able to keep up."

"You have to go to school because people will start seeing us around these parts, especially when we venture out to get supplies. It would be suspicious for an eighteen-year-old not to attend school," Remus answered her. "And yes, the curriculum is different, but it seems The Order thought of that already." He stood from the couch and left the room, moments later walking back in with _the_ envelope in hand and emptying the contents onto the table. "The Order has already taken care of everything, you're a transfer student from a British boarding school, your classes have been chosen based on classes similar at Hogwarts."

She sighed. "Okay, what are my classes?"

"You're taking Mathematics, Arithmancy is essentially advanced Mathematics without predicting several future outcomes, so you should do well with that." Hermione nodded. "Potions is essentially Chemistry and Herbology is essentially Biology, with human and animal counterparts." She nodded again. "There's History and you're doing English Literature."

"You'll likely get full marks for that one," Sirius nudged her and her lip quirked.

"You were required to take a language, but the languages the school offer are French, German and Latin," Remus said.

"You're fluent in all of them," Sirius said proudly. "Not to mention a few others. So the school has agreed to allow you to not take that class."

"And finally, you have to take PE, which isn't a bad thing as it'll coincide with your training." She looked at Remus dubiously and he chuckled. "Okay, maybe it won't, your training is a lot more advanced than a game of badminton," he admitted.

"Only six classes?" She questioned. He nodded. "That's half of what I was taking at Hogwarts," she said her voice rising and a scandalised look crossing her face. They chuckled.

"At least you won't have too much homework to do, you can focus on training and our research," Sirius pointed out.

"Do I have to go?" She all but pouted.

"Yes," Sirius and Remus said without hesitation.

"But everyone will stare at me, you know what small towns are like for gossip, I got enough of that in London. I don't want to draw attention to myself. Besides, it's October, already a month into the school term; everyone will be settled in and I'll be the awkward new girl that's struggling and socially inept."

"We'll be here for you, Snowflake," Sirius said, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. "If you want to make friends then do so, if you want to ignore everyone and isolate yourself then that's fine, too. We love you no matter the choices you make, we will support them."

"Fine," she pouted. "I'm going to bed,"

She kissed their cheeks and walked to her bedroom.

"Nice parenting," she heard Remus mutter and her lip quirked in amusement.

She had missed her old dorm room in Hogwarts and for that reason when she'd decorated her room, the large room had red walls with gold accents. She had charmed the Hogwarts crest onto her wall, along with the Gryffindor crest, much to the amusement of Sirius and Remus. Her queen-sized bed sat against the back wall facing the door with red and gold bedding. She had light laminate flooring and a soft red rug under her bed, along with a white bedside table and a white desk and chair against the left wall. She had a red couch in the corner of the room and there was a door on the left wall that took Hermione to her en-suite bathroom, fitted with a shower, sink and toilet. The entire right wall was made of mirrored doors that slid open to reveal a walk-in closet.

She was glad they had bought clothing for all weathers since Forks was very similar to Scotland, meaning that it was either raining or cloudy, but they had nothing on the temperature. Hogwarts was in the Scottish Mountains and the temperatures dropped far below zero, not to mention the castle was never truly warm, and she spent a year on the hunt. She could handle the weather of Forks easily. It didn't bother her; it actually reminded her of home.

She didn't understand why people didn't just live in wizarding tents rather than houses, particularly the one they were living in now. The one they used on the hunt was practically three hundred years old, tents having actually been invented in the Wizarding World long before a wizard took pity on the muggles and decided to introduce them to the invention, without the magic aspect, of course. The tent she was living in was better than any manor, house or hotel room.

She headed to her wardrobe and grabbed a pair of pyjamas, with it being autumn it was cold but the tent was always warm having continuous Warming Charms on it, so she didn't have to worry about the cold. She headed to her bathroom, brushed her teeth, put her hair in a bun and slipped on her sleep shorts and t-shirt, before slipping into her comfortable bed and waving her wand and extinguishing the candles.

She slipped into slumber, dreading what the next day would bring and her memories that were waiting to haunt her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I'm British, I have no idea of how the American schooling system works, I tried to look into it but it just confused me, so I'm doing my best in working with what I know.
> 
> Page count: 12

**Thursday 5th October 2006**

When Hermione's eyes fluttered open, the sun would soon be making an appearance for the day and she found herself in her own bed but with her fathers sleeping protectively on either side of her.

Her nightmares had held up tradition and been terrifying; death, pain, torture, suffering, death, pain, torture, suffering. Like a loop on repeat. She could deal with nightmares; they were dreams made of things that weren't real, monsters. But Hermione knew monsters existed, they lived in her memories. And that's what she _couldn't_ deal with. Her memories.

She looked to her sleeping fathers fondly, the only time she was able to feel any positive emotions was when she was with them. It was sad she knew, but there was nothing she could do to change that.

She sighed to herself, staring up at the ceiling before she convinced herself to ready for the day. Carefully, as to not wake her sleeping fathers, she slipped out of bed and headed for her bathroom where she busied herself with her normal routine of showering and using the appropriate Drying Charms to leave her hair in soft ringlets. She summoned some clothing from her closet and dressed, casting a Silencing Charm on her shoes so she wouldn't wake her fathers and she exited the bathroom, pausing to check her appearance in the mirrored doors of her walk-in closet.

She'd dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and black heeled ankle boots; she wanted to feel comfortable so she'd dug out one of Harry's old Quidditch jerseys -she still had his and Ron's belongings in her beaded bag, as well as some old Weasley jumpers that didn't fit anymore so the Weasley boys gave them to her- which was a little big on her, but she liked it. It would hide her figure that was slowly filling out again, as well as any scars that would draw stares and questions. It was warm and comfortable, too, and it even still smelled like him, the scent somewhat comforting for her. The red and gold garment reminded her of home, of the happier times before the war, before everything went to hell.

Knowing she'd need something a little warmer, she grabbed a baggy red hooded jumper and slipped it on, charming a large golden lion on the back, the word 'Gryffindor' appearing in a circle around it and a smaller Hogwarts crest on the front over her left breast. She knew she was supposed to be subtle but at this point, she didn't care. She needed a visual reminder that she was a Gryffindor in order to get through her first day of muggle school, but it's not like anyone knew what Hogwarts was, for all they knew it was a British or European band, they'd be none the wiser.

Checking her appearance once more, her face was make-up free and she was sure she didn't even own any, it wasn't really her thing; the shopping and the glitz and glamour. She wore what made her feel comfortable, not what she thought other people would want to see. She was glad her fathers didn't force her into acting and dressing like Lady Black, because that's what she was, she _was_ Lady Black, the daughter of Lord Sirius Black. The reminder of the previous Lady Black brought a grimace to her face. Seeing the dark bruises beneath her eyes, she cast a Glamour Charm to hide them and then she turned on her heel and left the room, heading to the kitchen to make a start on breakfast.

It wasn't long before the smell of food woke the two slumbering wizards and they stumbled into the room, yawning and Sirius pushing his dark hair back from his face. Remus was wearing his flannel pyjamas and Sirius his t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms.

"What's for breakfast, Snowflake?" Sirius asked, sitting at the kitchen island beside Remus.

"Sausages, bacon, eggs and toast," she replied, putting the plates on the counter in front of them and then pouring a cup of tea for Remus and a cup of coffee for Sirius. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat down and they started eating.

"Do you want us to take you to school?" Sirius asked.

"No, I'm just going to apparate. Besides, you need your beauty sleep."

He scowled at her and Remus chuckled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Old age is finally catching up with you," she deadpanned.

"Why you little..." He flew up from his seat and she did, too, as he chased around the kitchen island, around the dining table and then into the living room, tackling her onto one of the couches and he tickled her ribs mercilessly.

"I'm handsome and you know it. Say it."

"It,"

"Say I'm handsome," he scowled.

"No," she laughed.

"Alright children," Remus spoke with a smile; it had been months since Hermione had laughed like that. "That's enough," he said, a fond look held in his eyes.

When Sirius was distracted by scowling at Remus, Hermione pushed him away from her and he fell backwards, losing his balance and landing on the floor with a 'thump.' Hermione held a smug, amused look on her face and Remus chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hermione," Remus said in a fatherly tone of warning.

"Fine, Alpha," she huffed and left the room, heading to her bedroom to grab her bag. Remus' eyes softened at her addressing of him.

Hermione called Sirius 'Papa' and him 'Alpha.' At first, it'd irritated him to no ends but he soon understood the meaning of her addressing him in such a way. She called him 'Alpha' as a sign of respect and loyalty; he was effectively the grown-up of their little family, their pack. He _was_ the Alpha. The wolf in him craved a pack and he had that with Hermione and Sirius, and for obvious reasons, he was the Alpha, her protector, her friend, her family, her father. And, she in return, was his cub, his daughter and friend, his family, his pack. And the wolf was happy, happier than he'd been in a long time.

Hermione entered the room with her black satchel resting over her shoulder as she fiddled with the strap.

"Feather-light Charm?" Sirius guessed. She nodded.

"Undetectable Extension Charm?" Spoke Remus. She nodded once more and they snorted.

"Just because they have to suffer doesn't mean I have to as well. Besides, I don't have my class schedule, I don't know what I'll need to carry around with me."

"That reminds me," Remus said, walking over to one of the bookcases and removing an armful of books from the muggle section and then levitating them behind him before they were set down on the coffee table. "These are your school books, I have no idea how The Order got them for you but it was obviously _before_ we left England, the school must've forwarded a reading list and The Order took care of it," he mused.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" She groaned. "I could've read them and at least have gotten a head start on understanding what I'll be learning so I'm not so far behind in my classes."

"Honestly, we didn't know we had them, they must've automatically been sorted with the other books," Sirius shrugged his shoulders, getting himself comfortable on the couch after retrieving his coffee. "There were too many books to sort by hand so we used magic, if you remember. The spell to sort the muggle books must've included your school books, too."

"I found them by accident," Remus injected. "I was moving the contents of the envelope after you went to bed and I found a note mentioning school books. When I was looking over the bookcases, I found books that I knew we didn't purchase. There's also these," he bent down and from the shelf, under the glass coffee table, he removed six A4 notebooks, a pack of black, red and blue muggle pens and a pack of five differently coloured highlighters. "It seems The Order's thought of everything. Everyone knows how studious you are, now you can organise your notes, and your fondness of colour coding is widely known."

With a wave of her wand, all of the books and stationary levitated from the table and flew into her satchel. Sirius waved his wand and summoned a brown paper bag from the kitchen, it being set down on the coffee table.

"Lunch," he answered her unasked question.

She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't make it did you?" She asked warily. Remus laughed and Sirius scowled.

"I'm a great cook," he argued, crossing his arms.

"Really? Because that Fire Detection Alarm Remus had to erect in the tent says otherwise," she teased.

"Whatever," he mumbled childishly.

"No, he didn't make it; I did, all he did was pack it away," Remus assured her, amused. Hermione nodded and took her lunch, placing it in her satchel with the rest of her things. "Where's your coat?"

"I don't need one; my shoes are covered with a Warming Charm as is my jumper. I lived for the better part of seven years in a castle in the Scottish Mountains and was on the hunt for one year in the wilderness, not to mention I grew up in England, a country known for terrible weather."

"She doesn't need a coat," Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked.

"No," she replied without hesitation.

"You are; you're a Gryffindor, says so on the back of your jumper," Sirius grinned.

"We'll walk you out," Remus said, sending an amused look to Sirius before they headed out of the tent together.

"I see what you mean about the temperature," Sirius commented. "It's cold, but nowhere near as cold as the castle." Remus and Hermione nodded in agreement. "Anyway, you'll do fine. Just remember what we discussed, it's your choice how you play this." She nodded, readjusting her satchel on her shoulder.

"You have your necklace if you need us," Remus said.

Her hand immediately reached up to the necklace he was referring to. It was a thin silver chain with a pendant in the shape of a wolf that rested in the valley of her breasts. The wolf had a blue sapphire stone for an eye and it twinkled when the light hit it. They'd bought her it for her eighteenth birthday, which had been three weeks ago and it'd been made specifically for her, though she knew they'd bought it long before they left England, having not had the time to do so whilst they were travelling. Her necklace was connected to the rings Remus and Sirius wore -also carved with a wolf- through the Protean Charm she'd used her fifth year. It'd been charmed to alert Sirius and Remus when she was in distress and they'd be able to locate her and calm her down, or she could send a warning if she'd been found and let them know that it was time for them to split up, though due to the size of the pendant, only small messages could be sent, so they operated on a specific set of codewords only they knew the meaning of.

"Yes, I have it," she said softly.

"We'll see you later, Snowflake," Sirius spoke.

She kissed their cheeks before walking out of the wards and away from the tent. With her wand in hand, she clearly visualised the woods behind the school -she, Sirius and Remus had visited the school Tuesday night to find the perfect apparition site- and she turned on the spot, leaving with a sharp 'crack'.

~000~000~000~

Hermione landed with a 'crack' in the woods and from her position behind a cluster of thick trees, she could see the small building that was the school. She couldn't help but feel disappointed; Forks High School was nothing compared to Hogwarts and its charm and beauty, to its magical aura and centuries-old history. Knowing the longer she put off entering the school, the more nervous she'd be, she slipped her wand into the holster that was tied around her arm and hidden beneath her clothing. She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions that were quickly unravelling and before she could stop herself, she stepped out of the protection of the woods and headed towards the school.

She crossed the road before walking into the car park that was bustling with students, all talking and laughing and standing by cars or benches. Her eyes caught sight of a silver Volvo, she knew nothing about cars but even she knew it drew attention away from the other trucks and cars that were parked. It looked so out of place. Expensive, new and well cared for.

As she made her way through the crowd she heard whispers and murmurs and she didn't have to look to know everyone was staring at her, she was the new girl after all. Keeping her eyes focused forward, she continued with her steps, following the signs straight to the office. After introducing herself, signing some forms and retrieving her class schedule and map, she left the office with a "good luck" from the woman behind the desk. Looking down at the map and absorbing the information it contained, after a few moments she made her way to her first class of the day, Maths.

~000~000~000~

Lunch had arrived not fast enough in her opinion. She didn't feel like eating but she needed a break from having to introduce herself in class and taking notes to catch up. So after Maths and English Literature, she made her way to the cafeteria, quietly following the foot traffic of the other students.

As she stepped into the cafeteria with all eyes on her, she kept her eyes focused on searching for a place to sit and she headed over to the last empty table and took a seat, putting her satchel on the ground by the feet of her chair. She didn't bother with her locker when the inside of her bag held an infinite amount of space and she had everything she could possibly need with her. She dug around in her bag and thought about her lunch, when she felt it touch her hand she pulled it out and removed the contents of the paper bag before ripping it open and placing the food on the surface.

She couldn't help the little chuckle and the way her lip twitched when she saw it. She had a ham sandwich which had been spelled into the shape of a lion, though she knew it was just an illusion and not the actual shape as she'd felt the regular square-rectangle shape bread usual was. A cauldron cake had been charmed into a regular looking cake case, appearing to be a chocolate chip muffin, and along with that, she had a green apple and a bottle of water which had been equipped with a Cooling Charm. She also noticed some biscuits which looked suspiciously like Canary Creams that Sirius had obviously snuck into the bag when Remus hadn't been looking.

She could feel everyone's eyes and needing a moment to herself, she bent over and buried her head in her arms that rested against the table. She couldn't understand why they wouldn't leave her alone. She was the new girl, but she wasn't the only bloody girl in school and she can't have been the only new girl they'd seen no matter how small a town it was.

Her nose twitched when she smelt something, something odd; it reminded her of bleach and sugar but she let the thought go when she realised she was in the cafeteria and those smells were common. Her training was coming along slowly but her sense of smell had finally improved, as it would further when she completed the transformation.

Her thoughts wandered back to the school population.

_'Why did I have to come here? I have training; I'm never going to complete my transformation if I have to waste my time here...'_

Her thoughts suddenly cut off when she felt a very familiar tingle brush against her mind. She'd know that feeling anywhere. She slammed them out of her head and threw up her occlumency walls, sitting up straight and her eyes searching the cafeteria, trying to find the culprit.

Panic welled up inside her when her eyes landed on that of a bronzed haired boy with golden eyes and the palest skin she'd ever seen. He had a strong jawline, high cheekbones and a straight nose and not a blemish in sight. Her eyes widened when she realised he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen but they soon narrowed suspiciously. She was Hermione Black; she didn't get distracted by looks, no matter how handsome.

She lost eye contact with him when another boy with blonde hair, blue eyes and a boyish smile on his face, stepped in her line of sight and sat down opposite her without invitation.

"Hi, I'm Mike Newton," he smiled and his eyes looked her over.

"Okay," she said slowly.

"So, you're the new girl, where did you come from?"

"I think it's evident."

"Britain," he nodded. "Why are you here? Why did you move to Forks of all places?"

"Obligations," she muttered.

She looked around to see everyone staring at her and she felt her breathing pick up, her chest tightening painfully, sweat breaking out on her forehead. She didn't even get this much attention from the press back in England and she was a bloody War Heroine, the last surviving member of 'The Golden Trio'. Her head throbbed and her vision blurred as she reached up, her hand automatically gripping at her necklace tightly, thoughts of Sirius and Remus rushing through her mind.

A few moments later, she felt the pendant heat up in her grasp, the signal that they'd received her message and would soon be with her. She turned to look out the window, her eyes locking on Sirius as he appeared in the car park, approaching the school.

"Excuse me," she said, not giving time for Mark?...Mason?...Mike?...to answer. She stood from her chair and all but darted from the cafeteria, out of the doors and towards her father.

When she was close enough she leapt towards him, him catching her and hugging her to him gently.

"It's okay, Snowflake; you've done well," he whispered into her ear. She knew he meant she'd done well lasting until lunch without contacting them.

"I can't do this, Padfoot," she whispered.

"'Course you can, you're the only person I can think of that _can_ do this, think of everything you've achieved. This is a walk in the park for you," he replied softly.

The years at school. The war. The battles. The fights. The death. The pain. The suffering. The fear.

"They're all staring at me, everywhere I go. I tried to go to the bathroom and half the girls in my year followed me in there. I still have to pee!"

He chuckled at her. "If they're staring at you, you give them a reason to stare. That's what a Marauder does."

"I'm not a Marauder," she muttered.

He mock gasped. "Be still my beating heart, of course, you're a Marauder; you have the intelligence, talent and good looks."

"Are you trying to make me feel better or boost your own ego?" She asked with her head still buried in his chest and her lip quirked at his answer.

"Both," he said without missing a beat.

"Why did I have to come here?"

"You know why," he replied and she did, so she sighed and nodded against his chest. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I can't when they're all staring at me."

"You have to eat, you won't truly be healthy again if you don't. I know that you've improved massively, but you're still too thin for my liking."

"I'll eat what I can."

"That's all I ask. Are you feeling better now?" He questioned, rubbing small comforting circles on her back.

"Yes, thank you, Papa." She pulled herself away from him, taking a step back. "Where's Remus?"

"Oh, apparently he's at a pivotal point in that book of his," he replied, doing his best impression of the werewolf. She snorted; he was just as big a bookworm as she was, poor Sirius was outnumbered.

"Everyone's staring, aren't they," she muttered, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Sirius peered over her head towards the windows of the cafeteria. "Yep, they're probably wondering who this sexy specimen of a man that you're all over is," he said smugly.

"I'm telling Remus that instead of making me feel better, you focused on your ego," she threatened.

"You wouldn't dare?" Sirius challenged.

"I'm a Marauder,"

Sirius barked out a laugh, very similar to a sound that he would make when in his Animagus form. "Yes, you are, Snowflake, although not a full Marauder yet. That comes with completing the transformation."

"I'm trying," she responded, sounding annoyed that she hadn't yet completed it.

"I know you are, this isn't an easy thing to do; it's why most don't attempt it. You've surpassed expectations already with just completing the theory aspect. Your training's going well and you'll transform soon enough, don't worry yourself over it," he replied. She nodded; both he and Remus had told her that on multiple occasions. "I better get back to Moony, what time shall we expect you?"

She thought about her answer as she really wanted to explore some more of the woods before the next day.

"Five o'clock maybe, I'm going to do some more exploring for the map, I'm thinking north."

"Well be careful, we're not entirely sure the area is secure yet. When you get back we'll head out for some dinner, we need more supplies and we might as well make an appearance since it's your first day and all."

"Don't remind me," she grouched.

"I'll see you later, Snowflake," he said amused.

"Bye, Papa." He kissed her forehead before turning and walking away. "By the way, Padfoot," she spoke, knowing he would hear despite the distance between them. "I'm telling Remus about the _gift_ you put in my lunch." She heard his footsteps falter as she walked away and she didn't need sensitive hearing to hear his whispered curse.

Hermione entered the cafeteria, retaking her chair and annoyed to see the boy that was still sitting at her table.

"Was that your boyfriend?" He asked with a tone she didn't like.

"No, my father,"

His eyes widened. "He looked to be in his early twenties, how can he be your father?"

"He's a lot younger than he looks; he's actually in his late thirties."

"You don't look like him," he commented.

She stared at him with a look of irritation on her face until he squirmed in his seat and muttered an awkward "bye", leaving her alone. Remembering her father's words and the promise she'd made him, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite.

~000~000~000~

Edward's year hadn't been a good one. Stress, stress and more stress and if vampires could feel exhaustion, he was sure he would be feeling it. After the events of visiting the Volturi, Bella, his human girlfriend, had refused to speak to him. She claimed she loved him, yet when he and the majority of his family voted against turning her into one of them, she'd turned cold towards him. She ignored his texts, phone calls, she avoided him like the plague and she locked her window at night. She had even moved seats in all of their shared classes and the gossip mill at Forks had quickly picked up on the fact that their relationship was on the rocks.

It had been months since then, and still, she wouldn't even look at him no matter what he did or how hard he tried to gain her attention. But he supposed it could've been worse, she could've revealed his secret to the world. Hell, she was even ignoring the mutt, Jacob Black, which he found comfort in; he wasn't the only one suffering.

He'd just had another class he shared with Bella and it wasn't a surprise when she'd ignored his presence, pretending as though he didn't even exist. When the bell rang for lunch, he exited the classroom and headed straight to the cafeteria to meet Alice and Jasper and when he arrived, they were already waiting for him at their usual table, the table that had been dubbed 'The Cullens' by the school population.

He'd heard many a thought throughout the day pertaining to the new girl, but he honestly didn't pay attention to them, too focused on his dead relationship with his girlfriend...Ex-girlfriend?

"Did you hear we have a new student?" Alice asked in her musical tone.

"Two in two years, lucky us," Edward mumbled.

Jasper smirked at him. "She's rather pretty though," Jasper commented.

Edward looked at him with a raised eyebrow, knowing it wasn't often his adopted brother complemented others, especially on their appearance when in his opinion, no one compared to Alice. Jasper tilted his head, subtly gesturing to the left in a way no human would've been able to detect and Edward's eyes followed.

There she was, the new girl. She was sat by herself at the table closest to theirs and she had her head buried in her arms that were resting on the table, her mahogany coloured curls spilt over her shoulders with some covering the table and the rest falling her back. Her uneaten lunch rested on a ripped open brown paper bag and a bottle of water sat nearby.

"She's feeling overwhelmed," Jasper said with a frown.

Edward turned to look at him, and despite not wanting to, he did feel a little intrigued. "You can't sense her emotions?" He picked out from his thoughts.

"No, I can, it's just I have to concentrate, I can't feel her emotions like I can everyone else's. They're more... Faded," he frowned slightly before looking up at him. "But I can feel deep pain and suffering, even in this diluted form I can say I've never felt anything like it, especially from a human."

"I can't see her future either," Alice injected with a frown marring her pretty features.

"What?" Edwards blurted out quickly.

"When she walked in I was curious about her, I wondered how her day would end. I've tried focusing on her and only her, but I can't get a read on her. I don't know how or why and it's frustrating. It's the same problem I have with the wolf pack. Can you read her?" Alice asked.

Edward turned his eyes to the girl once more.

_'Why did I have to come here? I have training; I'm never going to complete my transformation if I have to waste my time here...'_

_A_ ll of a sudden he was thrown out of her head and her head snapped up, her back ram-rod straight and her eyes wide as she searched the cafeteria. Edward winced, bringing his hand to his head which now hurt. He'd never experienced that before.

"What is it?" Alice questioned.

"She's panicking, she's fearful," Jasper replied, looking at the girl strangely. "Could you hear her thoughts?"

"Just a few, but I was thrown out of her mind."

"That's impossible," they both replied.

He looked back to the girl and narrowed his eyes and focused, but all he could hear was a strange buzzing, very similar to the static on TVs or radio stations.

"I can't hear her now; all I can hear is static."

When he said those words the girl's eyes snapped to him and he watched as they widened further before they suddenly narrowed, glaring at him. He was a little taken aback by her reaction.

His view of the girl was blocked when Mike Newton sat down in front of her and he shifted in his seat, to get a better vantage point and so he'd be able to see her face. He was amused to see she looked less than impressed whilst Mike was speaking to her and asking her questions. Edward, as well as his siblings, were curious to know her answers but they were disappointed with how vague she was, almost carefully so as if she didn't want to reveal anything personal.

"She's panicking again. It feels like anxiety, claustrophobia even," Jasper muttered, a concerned frown pulling at his brow.

They watched as she reached up and her hand formed into a fist, as if gripping something tightly and a few moments later, they heard a distinctive 'crack' and all but jumped in surprise. They were quite to notice that no one else heard the sound, but they didn't expect them to, they did sensitive hearing after all. What was confusing was the girl seemed to hear it as well; her eyes went straight to the large glass windows and her whole posture seemed to relax.

They turned to see a man walking through the parking lot and towards the school. He had shoulder-length black wavy hair, grey coloured eyes and a prominent jaw. He wore tight black jeans, black boots and a tight short=sleeved black t-shirt that not only showed off his muscular form, but his impressive tattoos that covered his arms and none of them doubted he had more. They all concluded that he was exceptionally handsome for a human.

"She's calmer now, a _lot_ calmer, in fact," Jasper supplied.

They turned their gaze back to her, seeing her excusing herself, leaving her belongings behind and quickly exiting the cafeteria, heading into the parking lot.

When she was close enough she leapt into the man's arms, and he caught her and hugged her to him.

"It's okay, Snowflake; you've done well," they heard with their sensitive hearing, whilst most of the students watched from their tables.

"I can't do this, Padfoot."

"Padfoot?" Alice questioned, slightly confused, slightly intrigued.

They shrugged before they turned their attention back to the conversation, being subtle by not looking at them, rather they were playing with their untouched food.

"'Course you can, you're the only person I can think of that _can_ do this, think of everything you've achieved. This is a walk in the park for you."

"They're all staring at me, everywhere I go. I tried to go to the bathroom and half the girls in my year followed me in there. I still have to pee!"

The man chuckled at her. "If they're staring at you, you give them a reason to stare. That's what a Marauder does."

"I'm not a Marauder."

The man gasped. "Be still my beating heart, of course, you're a Marauder; you have the intelligence, talent and good looks."

"Are you trying to make me feel better or boost your own ego?" They chuckled at her question.

"Both,"

"Why did I have to come here?" She asked with a tired voice.

"You know why. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I can't when they're all staring at me."

"You have to eat, you won't truly be healthy again if you don't. I know that you've improved massively, but you're still too thin for my liking."

"I'll eat what I can," she promised.

"That's all I ask," he said quietly. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you, Papa." She pulled back from him. "Where's Remus?"

"Oh, apparently he's at a pivotal point in that book of his."

The girl chuckled. "Everyone's staring, aren't they?"

The man had a quick look towards the windows and smirked at her. "Yep, they're probably wondering who this sexy specimen of a man that you're all over is," he said smugly.

"I'm telling Remus that instead of making me feel better, you focused on your ego."

"You wouldn't dare?" The man challenged.

"I'm a Marauder," she fired back. The man stared and let out a bark of a laugh that reminded them of a dog.

"Yes, you are, Snowflake, although not a full Marauder yet. That comes with completing the transformation."

"I'm trying," she sighed.

"I know you are, this isn't an easy thing to do; it's why most don't attempt it. You've surpassed expectations already with just completing the theory aspect. Your training is going well and you'll transform soon enough, don't worry yourself over it. I better get back to Moony, what time shall we expect you?"

"Five o'clock maybe, I'm going to do some more exploring for the map, I'm thinking north."

"Well be careful, we're not entirely sure the area is secure yet. When you get back we'll head out for some dinner, we need more supplies and we might as well make an appearance since it's your first day and all."

"Don't remind me," she grouched.

"I'll see you later, Snowflake."

"Bye, Papa." He kissed her forehead and he headed for the woods and when he disappeared from sight, they heard another 'crack.'

The girl sat down at the table and they snorted at her reply to Newton's questions before he moved away from the table, heading back to Bella's.

"She feels a lot calmer now, resolute even. He, however," he gestured to Newton, his mouth pulling into an amused smirk, "Is a little scared of her." They chuckled.

"She's a mystery. What were they talking about?" Edward mused.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Transformation? Training? Someone called Remus? Weight problems? And what is a Marauder, Moony and Padfoot?" Alice asked confused.

"Nicknames maybe," Jasper replied. "Anyway, you have Biology next right?"

"And?"

"She may be in your class; she hasn't been in any of mine yet."

The thought of Biology brought his thoughts back to Bella, and he was surprised to realise that he hadn't thought about her since his attention was brought to the new girl. His eyes flickered over to Bella who looked to be scrutinising the new girl, as she finally picked up her sandwich and took a bite.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 10

Page Count: 10

**Thursday 5th October 2006**

Hermione sighed, took a deep breath and then walked into her Biology class, briefly noting that everyone was already seated and when she entered, they all stared at her. She hadn't expected any else. Silently, she headed to the desk of Mr. Banner and when he looked up she saw him smile at her and it made her anxious. She handed him the slip of paper needing his signature and he signed it and handed it back to her.

"Class, we have a new student." Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Please introduce yourself."

"Hermione Black," she said in a bored tone.

"Black?" A girl with pale skin, brown hair and hazel eyes spoke up.

"Yes,"

"Are you related to Jacob Black?"

"Who?" Hermione responded with a confused frown to her brow.

"Never mind," the girl muttered.

"Where did you attend school before transferring here?"

Hermione looked to the girl that asked the question. She had black hair tied back of the nape of her neck, brown eyes and white-rimmed glasses; she had soft features and a kind smile. Hermione felt the need to answer, just because the girl looked to be far too kind and she didn't want to risk upsetting her, especially when she reminded her a little of Neville in demeanour. Besides, if she gave the information up, maybe they would get bored with her and leave her alone.

"As you can likely tell from my accent, I am British. I was raised in London, England. When I was eleven years old, I was accepted into a boarding school in Scotland. I attended for six years and, unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend my final year. My family and I moved here as this is where my father's work brought us."

"What's that?" Someone gestured to her jumper and she looked down.

"My school's crest."

"What's Gryffindor?" Another asked, Hermione wincing when he completely butchered the pronunciation. This time it was a boy with black shaggy hair that covered his ears and dark eyes, and he was sitting beside the kind-looking girl.

"My school was separated into four houses. Each house is known for certain personality traits and you're placed in that house with your housemates and dorm mates for your seven years of education. Gryffindor was my house, our colours were red and gold and our emblem was a lion," she answered.

"Does anyone wish to ask any more questions?" Mr. Banner asked. No one spoke so he did. "Right, thank you for telling us about yourself, you may take your seat."

"Well it's about time," she mumbled quietly.

Her eyes searched the room, seeing that all the seats were taken, all except one. The one next to the bronzed haired boy from the cafeteria. Why didn't that surprise her? She sighed and moved over to her seat, pulling out her stool and sitting down before removing an empty notebook, one red, black and blue pen and her highlighters, so she could start organising her thoughts and work. She'd already decided earlier in the day that she'd use black for notes copied from the board, blue for verbal lectures and red for questions and things to research. She had a pink highlighter for key points, green for things that she was confident in, orange for things she wanted to do more research on, yellow for homework assignments and blue for things she found useful or interesting.

On her first page of her notebook, she wrote a key for her colour coding system and then she moved onto the next page, ready to start the lesson.

~000~000~000~

Edward, as usual, was the first to arrive to the classroom and he entered the room and made his way to his seat, putting his things on the table and ready for the lesson to start. Slowly, the students made their way to their seats, leaving only one seat beside him. The seat where Bella used to sit. He frowned.

Unexpectedly, the most alluring scent he'd ever smelt hit his over sensitised nose and he peered over his shoulder towards Bella, frowning. It didn't smell like her. When he caught her scent he had to restrain himself from running over to her and draining every drop of blood from her. She was his singer, existing only to torture him until he couldn't take it anymore and he just killed her, it being one of the reasons being in a relationship with her had been so difficult.

But this scent was _very_ different, this scent made him feel relaxed; he felt the stress of the previous year vanish. He felt calm, at peace, he felt happy. He breathed in deeply as another wave hit him. It smelled like vanilla, honey and something fruity, maybe even floral. To him, it was the most perfect thing in the world.

Hearing approaching footsteps, he turned to see the new girl walking into the classroom, looking apprehensive, but calm. It was odd. As she walked past him and to Banner's desk he smelt it again. It was _definitely_ her.

It was strange; he didn't want to kill her and he _definitely_ didn't want to hurt her. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He felt the strong urge to protect her, to keep her safe. She looked up and faced the class and his eyes scanned her face slowly, taking in every detail.

She really was beautiful, Jasper hadn't been lying. He could see the softness of her waist-length curls, he could see the shine of her ivory skin, he could see the grace with which she walked. But he could also see, despite her overly large baggy jumper, that she was thin, he could see it in her cheeks; more hollow than they should've been. He could see the tiredness in her stature, but she held herself well. Most importantly, he could see her large chocolate brown eyes filled with pain and suffering, as if she knew of the horrors in the world.

He remembered what Jasper had said, even in a diluted form, he'd never felt pain and suffering so potent from a human. Alice couldn't see her. And he thought back to the conversation she'd had with her father that he'd listened in to. Who was she?

He focused on trying to hear her thoughts but all he heard was static. How could she do that? She was blocking him, but not like Bella. He'd never been able to hear Bella's thoughts, but this the new girl, she'd purposely pushed him out of her mind, he was sure of it. How did she know what he was doing? How did she know it was him? How was she able to block him?

Why was she so thin? What caused her to feel those emotions? Why was she elusive to their gifts? Bella had only been immune to his gift, not the others.

He was brought out of his thoughts when she introduced herself.

_'Hermione,'_ he thought with a smile. It was a pretty name.

He restrained himself from rolling his eyes when Bella asked if she was a relation of the mutt. Bella was a smart girl, but anyone would be able to guess the answer. Besides the fact this girl shared no resemblance to the mutt, she didn't even originate from the same continent.

He listened to her answering the questions posed to her; he was a little irritated that once again she was vague but he did learn she was from London and attended a boarding school in Scotland for the previous six years. That meant she would likely struggle with the curriculum difference, maybe he could offer her his help, and he really wanted to know the personality characteristics associated with...Gryffindor, was it?

He was surprised when the stool next to him scraped across the floor and she sat down beside him. He took a deep breath, breathing in her intoxicating scent and he had to stop himself from leaning closer. He caught the thoughts of the girls in the room, similar to that of when Bella started school and had to sit next to him. The only girl who had a nice thought was Angela Webber, but she was one of the few students in the school that was genuinely kind and didn't have a bad word or thought to say about anyone, not yet at least.

He turned to look at Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory and much to his surprise; Bella was a part of the little group with narrowed eyes focused on the girl sat beside him. He felt his protective instincts flare up and shifted in his seat so he was closer to her.

He watched amused as she removed a brand new notebook, a set of highlighters and pens and she proceeded to make a list of what each colour would be used for on the first page. It was obvious to him that she was a studious person and he wanted to see how she organised her thoughts. Hell, he just wanted to _hear_ her thoughts.

He debated introducing himself to her, even just speaking to her, but she beat him to it.

"What page are we on?" She asked in her soft and calming voice, and her accent was fascinating to him. His ears were ringing with pleasure at the sound.

"Fifty-six through to sixty-two," he answered.

"Thank you," she replied, turning to the correct page in her textbook.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he introduced and he offered her his hand, something he would never normally do. Usually, he avoided touching people but secretly he wanted to touch her.

She looked at his hand warily before slowly slipping it into his, giving it a gentle shake. He marvelled at her soft skin. He marvelled at the way her small hand fit into his. He marvelled at the temperature difference. He waited for the gasp to escape her after touching his cold skin but it never came and she removed her hand from his.

"I'd introduce myself but you already know my name from that delightfully embarrassing act Banners had me performing, like some seal at the circus," she replied, sounding annoyed.

He stared at her before chuckling. "You handled it well," he praised, flashing her a dazzling smile. He heard the other girls in the room sigh and the boys grumble. She, however, just blinked, seemingly not bothered by his vampire good looks or charm.

"Surprisingly, it's not the most embarrassing moment of my life."

"What is?" He asked curiously.

"The day that I reveal that to anyone is the day my father doesn't compliment himself at least twice in the space of five minutes."

He chuckled. "Have you studied this subject before? I know the curriculum must be different to what you're used to."

"Not exactly, at my last school our Biology classes were solely focused on that of plant life and flora, we didn't learn anything regarding the human or animal bodily systems," she responded and he was preparing to speak but Banners interrupted before he could.

~000~000~000~

Hermione was staring forward when she realised she didn't know what they were learning, she didn't even know the book page.

"What page are we on?" She asked the handsome boy next to her, seemingly bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her and his golden eyes seemed to shine with happiness. _'Odd,'_ she thought.

"Fifty-six through to sixty-two," he answered.

"Thank you," she replied and turned to the correct page in her textbook.

"I'm Edward Cullen," the boy spoke, introducing himself.

He offered her his hand and she looked at it warily, before shaking her head and shaking his hand. She almost gasped at the ice-cold temperature of his skin but she controlled herself. She'd seen things far stranger, so she didn't worry about it.

"I'd introduce myself but you already know my name from that delightfully embarrassing act Banners had me performing, like some seal at the circus."

He stared at her before chuckling. A deep, but relaxing sound, surprising her and she felt herself relax a little in her seat.

"You handled it well," he praised, flashing her a dazzling smile. Had Hermione been any normal girl she would've melted into a puddle. But she was Hermione Black, the Brightest Witch of her Age, she wasn't affected by looks. Instead, she just blinked at him.

"Surprisingly, it's not the most embarrassing moment of my life," she replied.

"What is?" He asked curiously.

"The day that I reveal that to anyone is the day my father doesn't compliment himself at least twice in the space of five minutes."

He chuckled at her.

She was surprised to realise that she was genuinely enjoying the conversation; he wasn't asking her the same questions as the other students. He was paying attention and actually listening to her answers rather than just staring at her. She didn't know what it was, but she felt _compelled_ to talk to him.

"Have you studied this subject before? I know the curriculum must be different to what you're used to."

She thought about her next words carefully. "Not exactly, at my last school our Biology classes were solely focused on that of plant life and flora, we didn't learn anything regarding the human or animal bodily systems."

He looked like he was going to reply to her but Banners interrupted and started the lesson.

~000~000~000~

"What's your next lesson?" Edward asked her as she stood from her stool, gathered her belongings and put them into her satchel before putting it on her shoulder.

"History," she replied.

"I'll walk you,"

"You don't have to, I've memorised the map."

"Already?" He asked impressed.

"Before I even made it to my first lesson," she nodded.

"Oh, well, I have German, it's only a corridor away from your class, so we're heading in the same direction anyway," he shrugged, making it seem like it wasn't that big of a deal, but to him it was.

He wasn't letting her out of his sight unless he had to. He had a feeling trouble may be brewing with the girls seeing his newfound and instant friendship with Hermione. They made their way out of the room together with everyone watching them and a particular brunette glaring at them.

"What language are you taking; it's mandatory?" Edwards asked her as they made their way through the crowd and towards their destination.

"I'm not taking a language, this school only offers three options and I'm fluent in all of them, so they agreed that I didn't have to take a language; it would just be a waste of time, time that I could use for something else."

"Latin, French and German?" He asked with a cocked eyebrow.

" _Ja, ich spreche Französisch und Deutsch. Ich spreche fließend Latein, aber es ist eine tote Sprache und kann daher nicht gesprochen werden kann. Ich bin auch fließend Spanisch, Italienisch, Mandarin und Bulgarisch,_ " she replied in German.

His eyes widened slightly, feeling genuinely stunned and impressed. She could speak eight languages?

"How? Why do you speak so many languages?"

She looked to him amused and he was glad to see that the pain and suffering in her eyes disappeared, if only for a few seconds before it returned.

"Well, English is my first language. My parents liked to travel whenever they could and as I grew older, I started picking up the languages of the places we visited. Their favourites were Italy and Germany," she explained and he nodded. "When I was at school, Latin was basically a mandatory subject, starting at the age of thirteen, at least. I enjoyed it and continued with the subject as an elective and we translated some of the rarest books in the world. I learned Bulgarian from my ex-boyfriend." His footsteps faltered but it was so quick she didn't see or notice. "When I was fifteen, my school had this international tournament and a school from Bulgaria and France stayed with us for the year. He was from Bulgaria and the main competitor for his school. I taught him English and in return, he taught me Bulgarian."

"Why did you break up?" He asked, knowing fine well he was being nosy and intrusive, but he still wanted to know the answer.

She had no idea why she was practically spilling her guts and bearing her heart and soul to him, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. It felt like she _had_ to tell him about her life, even if it was an altered version of it.

"Viktor was very sweet and I adored him, we broke up at the end of the year; he was older than me and he had to return to Bulgaria. We wrote to each other for about two years before we had to stop due to some difficult circumstances." He looked at her and saw fear and pain flash through her eyes. She cleared her throat and seemed to pull herself out of her memories. "Anyway, I learned Mandarin because it's the most universally spoken language and I wanted a challenge. I was bored and had a free period at school."

What human learned a language simply because they were bored?

"Spanish and French?" He questioned.

"That was a stipulation in the contract for legally becoming a Black. Any member of the Black family must be able to speak both Spanish _and_ French, I don't know why, neither does my father, but it's been a tradition for as long as anyone can remember. The papers wouldn't be finalised otherwise."

He looked to her in confusion "Contract? Papers? Becoming a Black?"

"Yes, I was adopted. Black's not my birth name."

His eyes widened, she was adopted like him! That's when he remembered, she'd said ' _were'_ and not ' _is'_. It also explained why she spoke in past tense and why she shared no physical similarities with the man he'd seen her with earlier.

"You were adopted? How old were you?" He asked curiously.

"I hadn't been seventeen long, my parents died my sixth year at Christmas," she spoke quietly. "Sirius was my best friend's Godfather and we went through a difficult experience together and we became close. When he learned what'd happened my family, he wasted no time in putting the adoption process into motion. I would've been put into the system otherwise and I wouldn't have been allowed to complete my education at my school."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did your parents die?"

He saw her flinch and he definitely saw her sway on her feet as if she was about to collapse. He reached out to catch her but she righted herself immediately. Something Bella would never be able to do.

"We don't talk about it," she said quietly and he nodded, conceding to drop the subject.

"Your adoptive father, is he good to you?"

He saw a small smile pull at her lips.

"Yes, he is. He's been one of the most protective people I've ever had in my life. Him and Remus." At his confused look she clarified. "My other father." He raised an eyebrow. "Remus is Sirius' partner, some girls don't have a father, I'm lucky; I have two, no matter the circumstances surrounding it," she said and she lifted her hand up to her necklace and tugged on it for comfort, making sure not to alert Remus and Sirius.

"They have unusual names in England," he commented.

She chuckled at him. "Yes, they do. The family Sirius originates from can be traced back at least a thousand years; you could say he's practically royalty where I come from. The Blacks have a tradition of naming their children after the stars and constellations. Sirius' younger brother was named Regulus and his father, Orion. The tradition dates back centuries."

"If your family is considered royalty, does that mean you have some kind of wealth? Power?" He asked intrigued. He saw the way she bit her lip as they came to a stop outside of her classroom.

"That's a question I'm not at liberty to answer."

A smirk pulled at his mouth. He would take that as confirmation, but she obviously didn't care for whatever it was or want to talk about it.

"You're a mystery," he commented.

"No, I'm an open book, people just don't look deeply enough; they only look at what's on the surface and not what's beneath it. That's where the most interesting information is. It's not my fault they're shallow," she shrugged before turning on her heel and stepping into her classroom, leaving him speechless.

He knew she would have to sit next to Jasper, the only seat available.

"Keep an eye on her, Jasper. She's very interesting, I've learned a lot," he whispered as he walked away. _'_

_She still feels pain and suffering, but she feels more at ease,'_ Jasper thought. _'I can't wait to hear what you've learned.'_

~000~000~000~

Jasper looked up when Hermione entered the room and she made her way to Liddle's desk and got her slip signed.

"Please introduce yourself," the teacher spoke.

He felt annoyance flare up from her and he chuckled quietly, she was amusing, he'd give her that.

"I'm Hermione Black," she spoke, neither sounding nor looking pleased with the attention on her and she soon took her seat beside him, busying herself with removing her things from her satchel.

"Jasper Hale," he introduced himself, holding out his hand. She took it warily and shook it and he was surprised when she didn't react.

_'_ _Interesting,'_ she thought as she noticed his ice-cold temperature, the same as Edward's.

She looked at him. Pale skin, golden eyes, angular features and ear length wavy blonde hair. Like Edward, he was unnaturally handsome.

"You're Edward's brother, he mentioned you."

"All good things I hope," he teased.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss what was divulged," she responded and he chuckled at her.

A student walked past their desk, disturbing the air around them. Jasper froze; the scent of Hermione washed over him and he prepared himself for having to leave before the urge to drink her blood was too strong and he attacked her, like when he'd almost killed Bella over a paper cut. But it never came. He looked to her in confusion, cautiously taking a deep breath and inhaling her scent.

It was strange; he could smell vanilla, honey and something fruity. What he couldn't smell was her blood; he had no desire to hurt her. She actually smelled pleasant. But there was a subtle smell, something he knew was familiar but it wasn't strong enough to identify. He looked at her strangely.

_'_ _Who are you?'_ he thought.

Hermione froze when she caught that smell again. Bleach and sugar. That was the third time she'd smelt it that day. It couldn't have been a coincidence.

~000~000~000~

The final lesson of the day arrived and it turned out that Jasper and Hermione had Chemistry together. They walked to their class together, chatting comfortably about mundane things and once they arrived, they sat together at their workbench and Jasper caught Hermione up on what they had learned since the start of school.

She made quick notes and made a reminder to read up on what she'd missed before the next lesson. Everything was going well and Jasper was amazed to see that she more than knew her way around a chemistry kit, as if she were a Chemist herself. They'd just finished their experiment and wrote down the results whilst the rest of the class hadn't yet finished and so they started clearing away. Hermione picked up a beaker and was moving it to the sink to clean it, when she left it on the counter and bent down to pick something up from the floor.

At that moment, a boy walked past her and knocked off the beaker where it fell to the floor and smashed; a large shard of glass cutting her hand and the wound pouring with blood. Jasper looked up in confusion at the sound and his eyes widened when they landed on Hermione's injury.

He moved over to her as fast as humanly possible, but not because her blood appealed to him. Surprisingly it didn't. He wasn't repulsed by it like he would've been if it had been one of those overgrown flea-bags. It was as if he was immune to it.

When he reached her, he grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around her hand, putting pressure on the wound and they collected their belongings and left their last lesson of the day early, Jasper escorting her to the nurse's office.

He watched as the nurse bustled around, putting on a temporary bandage so Hermione could later go to the hospital and get it looked at properly. Jasper couldn't describe it, but he felt comfortable around her. The only people he felt that with were his family.

He never felt safe around humans; always being afraid of slipping up, of losing control and killing someone, but around Hermione he felt _in_ control, even when she was a perfectly good meal, bleeding all over him. He knew he wouldn't hurt her, he _couldn't_ hurt her. He didn't want to hurt her.

"You must be more careful, Miss. Black," the nurse scolded.

"It wasn't her fault," Jasper spoke up. "Some idiot knocked a beaker off the counter." "Still, you must be careful."

"This is nothing compared to some of the injuries I've had over the years," she muttered quietly but Jasper heard her.

When she looked up at him his eyes widened at what he saw. It was as if she was having flashbacks, memories running through her mind and he felt and saw every emotion on her face. Why hadn't he noticed it before? He should've known.

She was wary of people, quiet; she only spoke when necessary. She was on edge, she startled when she heard a noise and she gripped the sleeve of her arm or something under her clothes, he guessed a necklace. She looked exhausted and had obvious weight problems. Her suffering and pain. He even felt guilt from her. He had seen all of those things before. He saw them when he looked in the mirror.

"You should get going, the bell will be going any moment now; you may as well get to your cars before the crowd appears."

"I'll walk you to your car," Jasper offered as they stepped into the corridor.

"That's alright, I don't drive."

"What?" he questioned in surprise. _'Who didn't drive?'_

"I don't need to drive and I've never had time to learn. It'll take me a short while to get home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he replied.

She nodded and then turned and headed in the opposite direction. He watched her disappear into the woods, the same as the man had before and then there was a sharp 'crack.' He frowned and looked around and seeing there were no witnesses, he ran full speed into the woods, but she wasn't there and he could tell that her scent was gone, only lingering behind. She had disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ja, ich spreche Französisch und Deutsch. Ich spreche fließend Latein, aber es ist eine tote Sprache und kann daher nicht gesprochen werden kann. Ich bin auch fließend Spanisch, Italienisch, Mandarin und Bulgarisch,"
> 
> Roughly translates to – "Yes, I speak French and German. I am fluent in Latin but it's a dead language and therefore can't be spoken in conversation without difficulty. I'm also fluent in Spanish, Italian, Mandarin and Bulgarian."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Thursday 5th October 2006**

"Why is there blood on your shirt?" Alice asked quietly, staring at him in worried fear, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him over to the privacy of their car.

"I'll tell you when we get home, there's something we need to discuss with the family. I didn't hurt anyone though, I promise," he replied.

Listening to his thoughts and understanding he was telling the truth, Edward turned towards the car, climbed in and waited for his siblings to do the same before he drove out of the parking lot, flooring it home and pulling up at the front of their house.

Their house was all glass windows and doors, all opened planned with light and soft furniture, light wooden floors, a large expensive TV screen and a grand piano, expensive works of art and vases of flowers. That was just the living room. Home was the one place they didn't have to hide who they were and so they didn't, allowing as much natural light in as possible as they risked no one seeing them with their house being hidden.

Esme, their mother, greeted them with the usual smile, hug and kiss to the cheek, Carlisle, their father, smiled at them having arrived home from work only minutes before. Emmet and Rosalie, their brother and sister, sat on one of the overly large couches together and barely acknowledged their presence.

"We need to talk about something," Edward spoke, stepping further into the large room.

Rosalie sighed. "Not Bella again, leave her be, Edward," she said, sending him an annoyed glance as she pulled her attention away from the magazine she held in her grasp.

Edward's brow furrowed into a frown; he hadn't thought of Bella since leaving Biology, all his thoughts had been about Hermione.

"It's not Bella, it's someone else."

"What now?" Rosalie growled.

"Rosalie," Esme scolded lightly, "Please continue," she said, looking back at her three children.

"There's a new girl, Hermione Black."

Rosalie's snarl wasn't unexpected given her dislike for the wolf pack.

"She's _not_ related to those Blacks," Jasper injected, Rosalie settling back down into the couch. "She moved from England with her family."

"How do you know?" Emmet asked with a smirk pulling at his mouth and a raised eyebrow.

"Edward told me and I sat with her in History and Chemistry," he replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders, not reacting when they stared at him in disbelief before their eyes darted down to his shirt and finally noticing the red stain covering the white fabric.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked calmly, putting his book off to the side and giving them his full attention.

"I didn't hurt her, I didn't _want_ to," he frowned thoughtfully. "That's what we wanted to talk to you about. There's something different about her."

"Let's start from the beginning," Alice suggested and she took a seat on the couch next to Esme. "I was curious about the new girl and I wanted to see how her day would end." They rolled their eyes at her. "But I couldn't see her."

"What do you mean?" Emmet asked confused, his eyes darting between her and the blood covering Jasper's shirt.

"I couldn't see her future. Not one possible outcome, it gave me a headache even attempting to."

"That's impossible," Esme said softly, a confused look in her eyes.

"No, it's the same with the wolf pack," Alice shook her head, sighing.

"I can only sense her emotions if I'm focusing on her," Jasper pulled their attention. "Otherwise it's blank. Some emotions I can feel more strongly than others, but they're all diluted. It's as if they almost aren't there."

"I can't hear her thoughts either, but it's not like Bella," Edward spoke and the look on Rosalie's face told him to keep talking, and quickly, or he'd lose something he was _very_ attached to, he didn't have to read her thoughts to know that. "I tried to read her mind and I could, but only for a few moments and then I was ejected from her mind, it hurt," he winced, thinking back to the pain he'd felt and his hand automatically came up to head. "She looked around the room, as if she knew what'd happened and when I tried to read her mind after, all I could hear was static, like on a TV. She's in my Biology, I tried to read her thoughts all through class but I couldn't, it's like I'm being blocked, she's blocking me on _purpose_."

"Why is there blood on your shirt?" Carlisle asked after a few moments of silence, his voice calm but his eyes insistent that he answer his question and quickly.

"We have History together, when she sat down next to me I could smell her." He wasn't offended at the way they all seemed to sense, he'd done the same thing. "She has the most pleasant scent I've ever smelt, vanilla and some kind of fruit. I panicked, worried I was going to screw up and hurt her, but nothing happened and I actually find her smell comforting. We have Chemistry together, too, and someone knocked a beaker off the counter and it sliced her palm open." They stiffened, waiting for the bad news. "Before I knew it, I was wrapping it in a cloth and taking her to the nurse's office." They started at him, clearly surprised by the news that he had resisted blood and apparently had done so quite easily. "Her blood didn't appeal to me, it's not like the wolf pack; I couldn't even smell it. When I took her to the nurse I knew I wouldn't be able to hurt her, I don't know why, but I don't _want_ to hurt her. I feel comfortable around her, as if she were one of you."

"That's impossible," Carlisle muttered quietly in surprise, his eyes slightly wider than usual. Jasper hadn't even had to resist the blood even when he was covered in it? He was the one finding the transition the most difficult.

"I feel like I'm in control when I'm around her," he confessed as he reached up and made a start on removing his shirt.

"Whoa there, little brother, I said I wanted the striptease later, not now," Emmet winked. Esme and Carlisle chuckled, Jasper scowled and the others rolled their eyes, not the least bit surprised by his comment.

Jasper threw his shirt at Emmet, the larger vampire catching it. "Smell it," Jasper instructed.

Emmet raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. "He's right; it doesn't smell of anything. There's nothing appealing or revolting about it," Emmet frowned, passing the shirt to Rosalie before it found its way to Esme and Carlisle. "At least we know no one will have the urge to kill her."

"Edward, what do you wish to say?" Carlisle asked, seeing the thoughtful look on his face.

"Jasper's right, her smell...It's the most alluring thing I have ever smelt. It's nothing like Bella, it's _so_ much better. With Bella I was always afraid of giving in to my urges and harming her, killing her. I don't want that with Hermione, the thought of hurting her repulses me," he grimaced. "I saw some of the girls glaring at her because I was talking to her in class and I felt I had to protect her, I couldn't stop myself from moving closer," Edward confessed, looking down at the floor with his brow furrowing and missing the glances the others shared. "She intrigues me and I'm not sure why and I can't explain it, but her scent... I felt calm, I forgot about the stress of last year. When she spoke to me, I forgot Bella was even in the same room, all I can remember is wanting her attention to be on me. I wanted to touch her, to be closer to her, I felt _compelled_ to be near her."

Esme and Carlisle shared a look and catching their shared thoughts, his head snapped up.

"She can't be," Edward muttered, giving his head a slight shake of disbelief.

"She may be," Carlisle replied softly.

"Does someone want to explain what's happening? Not everyone here can read thoughts," Emmet's deep voice interrupted.

"The girl, Hermione, we believe that she may be Edward's mate," Esme explained, looking happier than anyone had ever seen her, her smile soft and her eyes bright.

"She's human," Rosalie growled.

"There's something different about her," Jasper and Edward both said without a doubt in their minds or meaning to speak over one another.

"Edward, what have you learned?" Carlisle asked.

"Hermione Black, she's a mystery. She kept to herself all day and she's been vague when answering questions, _if_ she answered them at all."

Jasper chuckled. "Newton's scared of her," looking both amused and proud.

"Despite that, when I asked her questions she gave me honest answers, or what seemed to be a shortened version."

"It's just your appearance lulling her into a false sense of security," Rosalie said bitterly.

"It's not," both Jasper and Edward assured her.

"I smiled at her and she just blinked with a bored look on her face."

"When I laughed she looked at me like I was an idiot," Jasper said.

"She's right there," Emmet muttered.

"I heard that," Jasper responded.

"That's interesting, I haven't yet met a human that's immune to our charms" Carlisle mused thoughtfully and ignoring their bickering.

"Back to the point," Rosalie sighed in annoyance.

"Her name's Hermione Black, she was born and raised in London, England and she attended a boarding school in Scotland from the age of eleven where she was educated for six years, but was unable to attend her final year. Her family moved here due to work obligations. From what I've seen so far, she's highly intelligent, unnaturally so I would estimate."

"Why would you say that?" Esme asked.

"She carries three differently coloured pens, separate notebooks for each class, a pack of highlighters and all her notes are colour coded. She's not taking the mandatory language classes as she not only speaks Latin, German _and_ French but also Mandarin, Spanish, Bulgarian and Italian with English being her first language. The circumstances surrounding each reason for learning the language are different. Two she learned when travelling with her parents, one she learned for a challenge and because and I quote 'she had a free period.' She learned one language at her boarding school and she learned two to fulfil the adoption papers."

"Adoption papers?" Rosalie's attention was piqued and she leaned forward slightly.

"Black's not her birth name. Her parents died last year at Christmas, I asked how but she just shut down. She has moved here with her two fathers, Sirius and his partner, Remus, the former adopted her when she was seventeen. The Blacks are apparently a big deal in England, she said they are practically royalty, indicating they have some sort of wealth or power but she was uncomfortable with the subject and didn't elaborate further."

"We've seen her father," Jasper piped up and everyone turned their attention to him. "I could feel her emotions, she didn't take well to Newton interrupting her at lunch and asking her questions. We heard a sharp crack and when we looked out of the windows, we saw a man walking out of the woods and towards the school. It was like she _knew_ he was there and she left out the cafeteria to see him, we listened to their conversation. They mentioned something to do with training, a transformation, Hermione having weight problems and something called Marauders, Padfoot and Moony."

"I think they might be nicknames given her father kept calling her 'Snowflake'. As for the rest, we have no idea what they were talking about," Edward said. "Her father was handsome, more so than the regular human, he looked young, too, early twenties, but Hermione told Newton he was in his late thirties," he sighed, brushing a fallen strand of hair back into place.

"You've been awfully quiet about this, Alice," Carlisle observed.

"I'm trying to work around this," she frowned, nibbling at her lip. "I didn't see her coming, I didn't see her bleeding in front of Jasper and I didn't see her very surprising effect on both Jasper and Edward, and that has me worried. I'll have to spend some time with her before I can give my opinion, if I can't see her, maybe I'll be able to get a reading or feeling from her."

"There's something else," Jasper said, pulling their eyes back to him. "Something about her smells familiar. She smells pleasant, but there's something hidden underneath that. It's very subtle, barely-there but I _can_ smell it, I'm not sure what it is. She doesn't act like anyone we've seen either. I've noticed she's jumpy, constantly looking around as if she's afraid she's going to be attacked. Her eyes, they're sad and dark, it's almost painful to look at her. The strongest emotions I feel from her are pain, suffering and guilt. She looks exhausted, too, but she's doing well in hiding it from the humans, with us it's a little more difficult."

"What are you implying, Jasper?" Esme asked softly.

"She reminds me of me. A soldier."

~000~000~000~

Hermione entered the tent and greeted her fathers and after a quick chat, she headed to her bedroom to clean up. After tending to the cut on her hand, she changed out of her mud-covered clothing given that despite the lack of rain, the woods were still boggy and wet in some parts.

She cast a few charms to freshen up and then dressed in a pair of black high waisted jeans, a black spaghetti strap top, her black heeled ankle boots and a soft, grey knee-length woollen cardigan over the top. It would help to fight off the chill in the air but it wouldn't be so warm it'd be unbearable. She made sure her wand was concealed beneath her sleeve and then headed back to her fathers, seeing that Sirius was still in his clothes from earlier on in the day and Remus wore blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a dark grey woollen cardigan.

"Shall we go explore?" Remus asked with a smile.

"Where are we going?"

"We thought La Push, it's a small enough community that we'd thought you'd like it, fewer people to stare at us," he answered.

She nodded, appreciating the gesture. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle bumping into any of her school peers during out of school hours.

"We found a great spot to apparate, there's a convenience shop that sells everything we need and we can have dinner at the diner, too. We've got the map so we can talk to you about what we found over dinner."

~000~000~000~

They landed in the cover of the woods before stepping out and walking down the road, heading towards the row of buildings. The first being a medium-sized diner and the biggest of the buildings, the second looked to be a clothing shop, the third building was the convenience shop and the fourth looked to be a small pizzeria.

They headed into the convenience shop and they separated, each having their own list of items they needed to find. As Hermione made her way through the aisles, she found and collected the milk and the bread easily and then selected some pasta and bolognese sauce, too. When she checked out the aisle at the back of the building she found some ham, turkey and chicken and placed them into her basket along with some cheese.

She grabbed a few bags of different brands of crisps and several bottles of juice and soft drinks, and once she'd found the stationary section, she selected some pens, a few more notebooks, some pencils, an eraser and a ruler, too. She then walked to the cashier where she came across Sirius purchasing muggle alcohol, and a lot of it.

"Does Remus know about this?" She questioned as she came to a stop beside him.

"No, and you're not going to tell him either."

"I'm going to tell him," she sang.

"No, you're not," he argued.

"What do I get?" She asked curiously.

"I'm not buying your silence."

"Okay, then I'll tell him," she made to turn and walk away.

"Wait," Sirius sighed. "What do you want?"

She smiled sweetly. "I want you to give up smoking."

"No," he said flatly and she scowled at him.

The old woman behind the counter was smiling and laughing softly to herself as she rang up the sales, apparently being quite entertained.

"Papa, it's a bad habit and they smell disgusting," she wrinkled her nose. "Think of Remus," she touched a finger to her nose. He understood the gesture and sighed in defeat. She knew she'd won, looking towards the older woman behind the counter triumphantly and she laughed lightly at her.

"So, where are you folks from? What brings you to La Push? We don't get many visitors," she asked with a kind smile. Her copper skin held wrinkles, her eyes were a soft green and her greying hair was pulled back from her face but left hanging down her back.

"We're from London, England, we moved nearby and we needed some supplies and thought we'd take a look around," Sirius said with a charming smile she knew would have half the population of witches melting into a puddle. "Thought we'd give Hermione," he gestured to her, "A break from being stared at all day, what with there being fewer people around to do the staring."

"First day of school, Dear?" She asked and Hermione nodded. "I can imagine how that must've been for you, those town people have no manners," the woman huffed and Hermione found herself taking a liking to her.

"Did we find everything?" Remus asked, coming up behind them with a basket in hand.

"Yes, we've gotten everything," Hermione replied.

"Well then, let's get this lot paid for and we can get some dinner."

When they left the shop, Hermione kept watch whilst Sirius and Remus moved behind the back of the shop, and once they were hidden from view they banished their bags to the tent where they'd be waiting for them when they got home.

As they headed for the diner, they all remarked on the weather, it being cold but not effecting them with them all having gotten used to the cold and rubbish weather of not only London, but the freezing temperatures at Hogwarts, too.

When they entered the diner sounds of laughter hit their ears, the smell of cooking food their noses and the warmth hit their skin, making it tingle and flush a little. Their eyes searched their surroundings cautiously, seeing that it was busy but not so busy that you'd feel claustrophobic. Even so, they managed to themselves a small booth near the back of the diner.

Whilst her fathers looked over the menu, Hermione took in the decor, seeing the dark wooden floors, black wooden tables and soft leather seats. The walls were mint green with white accents, landscapes of a beach lined the walls and lights hung from the ceiling. The large black wooden counter was off to the left with the kitchens hidden behind it and leather stools sat in front. She quite liked it.

"Snowflake?" Sirius called. She pulled her eyes away from the photos and to him, giving him a questioning look. "Are you ready to order?" Sirius asked her amused, gesturing to the annoyed-looking waitress.

"Sorry, got distracted," she mumbled, her eyes quickly scanning the menu in her hands and ordering the first item she saw with her fathers placing their orders after her.

When their food arrived, they quietly chatted as they ate their food and once they were finished, Hermione ordered a chocolate cake for Remus as it was the full moon the next day and the noise and smells in the room couldn't have been pleasant for him.

"You spoil him," Sirius spoke when Remus left for the bathroom.

"He needs it, he's had a less than perfect life and now I have a reason to spoil him without it being weird," she replied and he chuckled at her. "I'm going to get some fresh air, it's a little stuffy in here."

"Don't wander off, I'll come and get you when the cake arrives."

Nodding, she stood from her seat and made her way through the crowded diner, heading out the doors and taking deep breaths as the cold air hit her skin. She leaned back against the wall of the diner, crossed her arms and tilted her head back to rest against the wall as her eyes shut, revelling in the silence that surrounded her.

Her mind finally wandered to the events of that day, analysing everything she hadn't yet had the chance to. The more time she spent around Edward and Jasper, the more oddities that stood out to her; their very pale and ice-cold skin. Their golden eyes. Their handsomeness and charming attitude. Their graceful manner that would put any Pureblood aristocrat to shame, namely the Malfoys. There was something different about them, she could _feel_ it, but she didn't know what it was and it was going to eat away at her until she figured it out.

She was brought out of her thoughts when a voice spoke,

"Are you alright? Are you lost?"

She opened her eyes, lifting her head to see that before her stood a tall boy, six-foot-one if she had to guess. He had kind hazel eyes, russet coloured skin and short black hair that stood out at odd angles. She felt a pang in her chest, it painfully reminding her of Harry. He had a kind boyish smile on his face and was wearing running shoes, jeans cut off at the knees and a tight black t-shirt, showing his muscled frame. It seemed as though the temperature didn't bother him either.

"I'm fine, thank you, and no, I'm not lost, I just needed some fresh air," she said softly.

"I just assumed you were lost, I've never seen you before and we don't get many visitors on The Res," he explained.

"I recently moved close by, I just needed some supplies and thought I'd get dinner here."

He smiled at her. "Well it's nice to meet you," the boy spoke kindly. "I'm Seth," he held his hand out to her and she eyed it before shaking his hand, the temperature of his hand surprising her as it was far hotter than what was considered normal, but she didn't outwardly react.

"Hermione," she responded.

He was going to speak when they were interrupted by loud voices heading their way. They both turned to see a group of boys similar in height, appearance and physique growing closer.

She heard the boy identified as Seth sigh. "I'm sorry," he said, looking at her sheepishly and before she could ask 'for what' the group of four had reached them.

"There you are, Seth," one of the boys said, getting Seth in a headlock and ruffling his hair. "And who do we have here?" He asked, turning to look at Hermione and releasing Seth from his hold.

His eyes raked over her with an unmistakable gleam and his mouth turned up into a smirk when he noticed the wolf shaped pendant resting at the valley of her breasts. He was taller than Seth, six-foot-four, equally as muscled and handsome with black hair, dark eyes and russet coloured skin. He wore similar clothing to Seth's except the colour choice was different. It was the same for the other three boys and she followed Seth's naming of them when he greeted them.

Jared had short light brown hair and brown eyes, was muscled, too, and stood at six-foot-three with russet coloured skin. Embry had short black hair, brown eyes and russet coloured skin and he was muscled, but slender than the other boys and he stood at six-foot-four. The final boy, Quil, had russet coloured skin, short black hair, brown eyes, was muscled but less than the others but more so than Embry and he stood at six-foot-one.

"This is Hermione," Seth introduced. "Hermione, this is Embry, Quil, Jared and..."

"Paul Lahote," he interrupted, reaching out to take her hand in his and placing a kiss on the back of it. "At your service," he gave her a charming smile, one she was sure would work on plenty of other girls but she kept a bored expression on her face, arching an eyebrow.

She saw Seth smile and the others looked amused, at her expense or their friend's, she didn't know. She pulled her hand back from him and continued to lounge against the wall, not at all intimidated by their height; she was friends with both a giant and a half-giant, after all.

"I've never seen you 'round before," the boy named Jared spoke.

She tore her eyes away from Paul, who was literally devouring her with his own eyes. "I moved nearby a few days ago, I needed supplies and didn't fancy going into Forks to get stared at, I've had enough of that today."

"Where are you from? You've got a cool accent," Embry asked her.

"London, England,"

"I had no idea British girls were so...Hot," Paul said, his mouth pulling into a smirk. "I've heard things about English Roses."

"You should be careful, English roses have thorns, I wouldn't want you to get hurt by something you couldn't handle," she drawled, taking pride in the way his mouth dropped open and the others burst into laughter.

"I think you've met your match," Jared said, clapping Paul on the shoulder.

"That's an interesting necklace, why the wolf?" Quil asked, stopping a smile from slipping onto his face as the others shared a smile, as if they had a secret.

"You could say the wolf's the emblem of my family," she replied with a smile of her own. A sudden gust of wind hit her and she saw them take in a deep breath before they looked to her curiously, their heads tilted in such a way they reminded her of confused puppies.

And as they watched her, when the gust of wind had kicked up, a scent had hit her. She couldn't quite place it, but it smelt familiar.

"Aren't you cold?" Seth asked with a frown pulling at his brow, looking to her clothing and seeing she wasn't bundled up warm like everyone else inside the diner.

"No, I lived in London until I was eleven and then I attended a boarding school in the Scottish Mountains, this weather is what summer is like back home, torrential rain and all. It's actually a little warmer than I'm used to," she shrugged slightly.

"You want to join us for dinner?" Seth asked with a smile.

For some reason she wasn't quite sure of, she found that she quite liked Seth. He reminded her a little of Neville with his boyish looks and his kind nature.

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't. I'm already here with someone," she replied kindly.

"Your boyfriend?" Jared asked, gesturing inside the diner with a tilt of his head and she turned to see Sirius walking towards them.

"Why does everyone think he's my bloody boyfriend?" She grumbled. "You're the tenth person to ask me that today," she sighed.

"I'm just so handsome people can't help but assume," she heard her father say amused.

"That ego of yours is going to need deflating, how would you prefer I do it?" She asked.

Sirius pretended to think about it, tapping his chin with his index finger thoughtfully. "Well, you could use a knife, although knowing you, you'd use a blunt one; you're quite scary." She scowled at him and he turned his attention to the five teenagers. "Fucking hell, you're huge!" He exclaimed, seeing that they all towered over him.

"Papa!" Hermione voice rose in embarrassment.

He looked at her innocently. "Well they _are_ ; I haven't seen anyone bigger than them, ever!"

"What about Hagrid? Grawp? Greyback? Dumbledore? Bill? Charlie?" She listed off.

"Doesn't count," he gave her a wink.

"Still, you shouldn't be rude," she huffed.

His mouth pulled into a smirk and then pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his back pocket, popping one in his mouth and preparing to light it.

"Papa!" Hermione cried. "You said you would stop smoking."

"Only because you blackmailed me into it an hour ago," he replied.

"Still, you promised. Don't make me tell Remus about the stash of alcohol."

"You've already threatened me with that one," he said, unphased.

"I'll tell him about the _gift_ you put in my lunch."

"Used that one, too," he said smugly.

A smile pulled at her face. "I'll tell him that you stole three chocolate bars from his secret stash."

Sirius' face dropped and he paled a little at the thought of the huge hissy fit the werewolf would throw, especially with the full moon being the next day. She reached over and took the cigarette from his mouth and the packet from his hand before she threw them over her shoulder and behind her, landing on the ground and in a particularly muddy patch of grass.

"Who's the parent here?" Sirius asked.

"Do you actually want me to answer that?"

"I see your point, Snowflake," he chuckled. "Cake's here, you better get in there before Moony eats it all."

"He wouldn't do that," she defended.

He raised an incredulous eyebrow. "It's chocolate. You do remember what's happening tomorrow, right?"

"Oh God! He's going to eat all the cake!" She cried, her eyes widening and her mouth pulling into a thin line. She shook her head, turning to the amused teenage boys who'd obviously found their conversation funny given the amused looks they sported. "Well, it was nice to meet you all and I'll likely see you boys around."

" _Definitely_ ," Paul replied with a smirk, his eyes raking over her once more. The others nodded and she turned and rushed back into the diner.

Sirius stayed behind, his dark eyes observing them cautiously but curiously. Despite all of them being taller than him and a little more muscled, too, Sirius was far more intimidating with his dark attire, hair and eyes, his legs stood shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed over his chest, showing the muscles and tattoos his clothing didn't cover.

He noticed them all take the smallest step back and he smirked, amused. "So, you're interested in my Snowflake." It wasn't a question but a statement.

"Only as a friend, Sir."

Sirius's turned to the one that spoke, the youngest one he thought. "Name and age," he demanded.

"Seth Clearwater, fifteen."

Sirius nodded but gave him a second glance, noting his height and muscled form thoughtfully. His eyes turned to the next boy. He didn't hesitate in answering.

"Jared Cameron, seventeen,"

"Embry Call, sixteen,"

"Quil Ateara, sixteen,"

Sirius looked at the last boy, the one whose eyes were watching Hermione through the glass window, even as she took her seat opposite Remus.

"Paul Lahote, eighteen," he answered.

"Well, I can see my daughter befriending you," Sirius said, nodding to the four boys before turning his attention back to Paul. "You, however..." Paul pulled his eyes from Hermione and looked to him. "Couldn't handle her. My daughter might not seem like much, she's been going through a hard time these last few years and her spirit has been dampened, however, it's still there, just buried. When parts of her true self resurface, she _is_ the feistiest little spitfire I've ever met. My point is, Lahote, don't mess with fire because you'll get burned."

"You're giving me permission to date your daughter?" He questioned in disbelief, blinking slowly.

"No, I know boys like you, I used to be you. You're only after one thing. I would never dream of telling my daughter what to do, who to date or who to sleep with; she can take care of herself. I'm just letting you know what you're in for if you plan to pursue this path." As an afterthought, he added, "Actually, I'm protecting _you_ from her wrath."

"I don't need your protection."

Sirius smirked. "You have no clue as to what my daughter's capable of. I've seen grown men cower in fear of her, men three, even four times her age," he said proudly. "But it's not me you have to worry about, I'm not the overprotective one, that would be her other father."

"How can she have two fathers?" Jared asked confused. "How are you even her father, you don't look older than twenty yourself?"

"I'm old enough to be her father, that I promise you, however, my partner and I adopted her. The circumstances surrounding that are not of your concern, only if she chooses to reveal it will it then be known. Now, if you will excuse me, I better get back to my table before the fat bastard I call a partner eats all the chocolate cake." He gave them all a final glance before turning and heading back into the diner.

"Well, that was scary," Quil muttered.

"More like awesome," Jared grinned, looking at the disbelief on Paul's face.

"Did he really just give me permission to sleep with his daughter without repercussions?" He asked slowly, trying to process the conversation.

"No, there _will_ be repercussions," Seth said. "Just not from him, apparently from Hermione herself and her other father," with that said, he walked into the diner with the others following behind him.

They ordered their usual meals and sat at the newly available table, which was coincidentally, two tables down from Hermione's. Given how intrigued by her there were, they collectively decided to listen in to her conversation.

"Right then," Hermione said, pulling out a map from her pocket and unrolling it before taking a pen. "As I said, I travelled north from our location for half a mile and I came upon nothing useful and so I travelled a mile out. Here," she gestured to the map, "I found the same thing Remus had, several splintered trees and it wasn't wind or rot that caused it. There's _definitely_ something strange going on."

"We'll have to be cautious; we can't let our guard down until we know the area is secure," the man Hermione had called Remus said. Everyone nodded in agreement and the wolves shared curious looks.

"We should travel south-west next and see what we find, we can do it tomorrow after I get back from school," Hermione suggested and they agreed to her plans.

"We may as well discuss your training," Sirius spoke.

"I want to increase it."

"Snowflake, upping your training sessions won't make your transformation happen any faster, it'll just put more stress on your body, hindering and halting the process."

"I want to increase it because it's getting too easy for me, if I have to train I at least want a challenge, I'm not going to get that in PE, am I?"

"We'll think about it," Remus said. "Now, about tomorrow..."

"I'm going to be there."

"No," Remus said forcefully, shocking the wolves.

Up until that point they had observed the sandy-haired man wearing what could only be described as a Grandad cardigan, as a kind and quiet individual. The tone of voice he'd just used scarily reminded them of Sam's Alpha voice.

"You will _not_ be there, especially not until you can control the transformation perfectly. It's too dangerous."

"It could take me years to complete the transformation," she argued.

"It's taking you longer because you're focused on it. When I was training I knew that what I was doing was important but I didn't allow it to overtake my life. I remained calm and remembered my meditation and I'd completed it within a year. Don't focus, Snowflake, just allow yourself to relax and enjoy the process and before you know it, you'll have transformed."

At that point an irritable Jacob Black slumped down into a seat at their booth, interrupting their eavesdropping.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 12

**Thursday 5th October 2006**

Jacob Black's last year hadn't ben the best. Finding out that the legends your father regularly told around a bonfire were true was a real mind fuck. But he had to just go and contain the wolf gene in his DNA, didn't he? Turning him into a wolf the size of a car, bigger even. And if that wasn't bad enough, vampires were very much real and living in Forks, not fourteen miles from his Tribe, the people he was apparently born to protect. To add to the stress, he was Ephraim Black's heir to the pack of wolves.

That was right, there was already a pack of wolves that had come into their heritage before him and he was their natural Alpha, although Sam Uley was the Alpha of the pack, purely because he was the first to phase. When Jacob phased, Sam had all but insisted he step down and Jacob take his rightful place as Alpha but Jacob point blank refused, not wanting such a responsibility.

And to put the cherry on the cake, Bella, his best friend and the girl he'd been in love with for as long as he could remember, had been dating a vampire. When the blood-sucker had broken it off and moved away, she fell into a state of depression and just when she was starting to get back to herself, when she had learned the secret of the wolf pack, she had disappeared and a few days later returned with the whole family of leeches and looking happier than he had seen her.

That was, until a few days after her return, and she'd started ignoring him, even Charlie couldn't get her to talk to him. She wouldn't see him, she wouldn't talk to him, she wouldn't even look in his direction. But at least she was ignoring the parasite as well, so it wasn't a complete disaster.

He'd just finished patrols for the evening and he knew he was next on patrol the following night. After phasing back and changing into his regular clothes, he headed to the diner where the majority of the pack would be.

Sam had been the first to turn, followed by, Jared, Paul, Embry, himself, Quil, then Leah and Seth and finally, little Colin and Brady who were the youngest wolves at only thirteen. The change occurred when there was an influx of vampires in the area. Without warning you went through uncontrollable fits of rage, a fever that wouldn't break, constant changes in eating habits and then you started shaking before phasing for the first time. Jacob could still remember the first time he'd done so. He'd been at home in his bedroom when it happened. It'd been so confusing, so disorientating and he'd almost hurt his father in his panic.

Everything had been explained to him and it took three days until he was able to phase back. After that, he'd been out of school for close to a month, the wolf pack helping him to control the change so that he wouldn't be a danger to anyone, but pure, undiluted anger could set off the phase instantly. For that, he had to be careful.

When he entered the diner, he plopped down in the seat more irritable than ever. He'd picked up the scent of a vampire near the borders of La Pus but it had vanished after following it for over an hour. It'd been happening a lot lately and he _knew_ something was going to happen soon.

He looked up when he noticed no one had greeted him, not even a punch in the arm by Paul.

"What are you doing?" He asked tiredly. He was, being surprised when all he got in return were glares and rather loud shushes.

"We're trying to listen into a conversation with the English Rose," Jared spoke, not taking his eyes off the table two down from them, which sat a girl and two men. It seemed that Jared hadn't even noticed that he'd referred to Hermione in such a way.

"Who?" Jacob asked confused and rubbing his hand over his face tiredly.

"Hermione," Seth spoke, finally looking at Jacob, but he was the only one.

"Who?"

Seth sighed. "Hermione, we met her outside the diner. She moved to Forks a few days ago from London, England with her two adoptive fathers," he gestured to the table. "She's very interesting. Paul's set his sights on her." Jacob rolled his eyes. "He's met his match with her, his jaw practically hit the floor when she told him English Roses had thorns and she wouldn't want him to get hurt by something he couldn't handle."

Despite Jacob's terrible mood, he couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him. Paul Lahote was the man-whore of The Res, definitely his school and most likely La Push and Forks combined, and it was a well-known fact.

"And guess what," Embry injected with a smirk, finally looking at him.

"What?"

"She has a wolf pendent around her neck, apparently it's her family emblem," he said amused. "Not to mention, her father practically gave Paul permission to pursue her, even if it is just for sex."

"He never!" Jacob replied in disbelief.

"He did," Quil confirmed. "He even warned Paul that if he hurt Hermione, it would be _her_ wrath he would be facing; he would be staying out of it. Apparently, she's quite scary, so much so that her father believes she can take care of herself," he shrugged.

"Why are you listening in to their conversation?"

Paul answered, not taking his eyes away from the table. "There's something different about her." The others nodded when Jacob simply raised an eyebrow. "I can't explain it, but I know she's going to be in our lives somehow. My instincts are telling me that she can be trusted. She smells different to other girls; don't get me wrong she smells good, _really_ good actually, but there's something familiar there, it's not quite strong enough to identify."

"You just have the hots for her," Jared snorted. "She _is_ smoking hot though," he said with a smirk. "But he's right. Her father smells the same only his sent is stronger."

"During their conversation, they mentioned something to do with a transformation Hermione's going through, but according to her, it's taking too long. She mentioned something about the training that she's doing and she wants to increase the difficulty and frequency but her fathers seem hesitant. They mentioned something about tomorrow night, but they came at blows since Hermione wants to go with them but her fathers won't let her until she's completed the transformation, saying it's too dangerous. They've been talking about exploring something, our guess is it's maybe some sort of wood or forest since they mentioned trees. They seem to be mapping it out. They're convinced something strange is happening, something to do with damaged trees," Seth explained shrugging, catching him up.

"One more thing, her father with the sandy-blonde hair, he used a voice on Hermione, terrifyingly like Sam's Alpha voice," Quil added.

"Transformation? Training?" Jacob said confused. "What's that?"

"We've no idea, that's why we're listening to them, now stop taking," Paul growled.

Jacob sighed and walked over to the counter to order his food, before heading to the bathroom.

The wolves looked away from Hermione's table when she stood and walked over to them, pretending to be in conversation and as if they hadn't just spent thirty minutes eavesdropping on her private chat with her fathers.

"Well, boys, we're calling it a night," she spoke, with her fathers waiting outside the diner for her. They gave her smiles, far too innocent for her liking but she dismissed it.

"How about we meet up and I can show you 'round?" Paul offered and Hermione looked thoughtful. "Friday?"

"I can't do Friday," she replied.

He knew she'd say that after what he'd overheard. "Why?" He asked innocently, the others sharing amused looks and shaking their heads at him.

"Family obligation,"

"Can't you just skip it?"

"No," she said with a harsh tone. "It's a family obligation I'll never miss, even if I didn't have to attend, I always will. It's important that I do," her answer had them intrigued.

"Saturday?" He suggested.

"Can't do Saturday either," she shrugged.

"Sunday?"

She looked thoughtful, frowning slightly. "We had planned on going to Port Angeles, but I suppose we could do that next week instead," she mused.

"Great, just give me your number and address and I'll pick you up after breakfast," he grinned.

"I'm not telling you where I live," she said and the others chuckled at his frown. "And I don't have a mobile phone." They stared at her in shock.

"What? Everyone has one," Embry said.

"Technology hates me, it's as if there's some magical force around me warding it off," she knew her fathers were listening in with their oversized ears and would be laughing at her statement.

"Alright, I'll just meet you here instead, ten o'clock?" She said and he nodded, looking at her strangely. "Great, I'll see you boys later," with that said, she turned and walked away, just as Jacob returned to his seat.

He looked behind him, he hadn't seen the girl's face or bothered listening to her conversation with his pack, but he had to admit she had pretty hair. Mahogany curls at waist length and they bounced and swayed when she walked.

"What's got you so shocked?" He asked amused.

"She doesn't have a cell phone."

Jacob shrugged. "So?"

"So? So!" Jared asked in disbelief at his reply. " _So,_ she doesn't have a cell phone, there's definitely something strange about her."

"Well at least I can start putting the moves on her," Paul said arrogantly. "She'll be putty in my hands in no time."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Seth argued. "I have the feeling she's going to have you wrapped around her little finger before you can even blink."

"That'll be the day," Embry spoke laughing. "Paul Lahote, whipped."

~000~000~000~

"Seems you've made some interesting friends, Hermione," Remus commented as they entered their tent.

"They seem nice enough, a little odd though but coming from someone like us it doesn't say much." He chuckled at her. "There was something weird though, Seth's body temperature, it wasn't normal, rather he felt like he had a fever," she told them.

"Their height and physique is quite strange too," Sirius mused sitting down and propping his feet up on the table until he took them down when both Remus and Hermione lobbed a cushion at him.

"Why is it weird?" Hermione asked.

"They look like they're all in the twenties."

"So?"

"That kid, Seth, he's fifteen," he explained, crossing his arms behind his bed and getting comfortable on the couch. Hermione spluttered. "Exactly, the rest are sixteen or seventeen, that Paul guy that seems to have taken a fancy to you is eighteen."

"No, they can't look like that at that age, it's unnatural," she frowned.

"And therein lies the problem," he responded.

"Didn't you smell them?" Remus asked. "I caught their scent when they walked into the diner. They smell similar to Sirius, especially when he's Padfoot."

"I did catch the smell of something familiar but I couldn't tell what it was," she mused.

"There's something strange going on with those boys," Sirius said.

"That's not it, there's something else, too."

"What?" They both asked, sharing a worried glance.

"Today at school I met two boys and something about them was strange. I could feel someone entering my mind and I threw up my shields." They looked at her surprised and fearful. "When I looked around I saw this boy, his name's Edward and I sit next to him in Biology. He's handsome, almost godlike. I'm being serious," she said, when she saw them smirking. "It's not right! His eyes are different, too, they're a bright golden colour and his skin temperature, it's cold, ice-cold." Their smirks were gone and replaced with worry. "I met his brother, Jasper, we sit together in Chemistry and History. He's the same, godlike looks, cold, pale skin and bright golden eyes. I don't know why but I couldn't stop myself answering their questions, even if it was only vague answers I gave them. The other students I didn't bother with, but they treated me differently and I don't know why."

They could see it was really stressing her out when she buried her hands in her hair, tugging at the strands and she frowned.

"Hermione, don't worry about it, we'll look into it. Why don't you head to bed and do some reading? We'll put the shopping away tonight. We'll do some training in the morning before breakfast," Remus spoke. She sighed but nodded and she stood and headed to her bedroom.

As soon as they heard her door close, Remus stood and briskly walked over to the Magical Creatures and Beings section, pulling several books from the bookcase before heading back over to Sirius and putting them on the table.

"Ice cold, pale skin, godlike beauty?" Remus listed and the metaphorical light bulb went off in Sirius' mind.

"You don't think..." He whispered.

"Possibly," he gestured to the books and they both immediately set to work reading the knowledge they stored.

~000~000~000~

**Friday 5th October 2006**

It was the early hours of the morning when they'd come to the conclusion that the two boys Hermione had described were vampires. Of course, they couldn't be sure without proof but all signs pointed to that being the only possible explanation.

"Should we tell her?" Sirius thought out loud.

"Yes, she'll likely figure it out herself once she's processed everything rather than just storing it away for a later date."

"How the hell didn't The Order know about this?" Sirius seethed quietly. "How the bloody fuck didn't they know there were vampires in the town they sent us to for Hermione's protection?" Remus looked just as confused and angry as Sirius did. "She's supposed to be safe here. If the vampires know who she is they can send word to any of the Death Eaters or they could just kill her themselves. What the fuck are vampires doing attending school with humans?"

"I don't know, but Hermione mentioned their eyes were different. Vampires usually have red eyes, the shade of red depending on when they last fed." Sirius nodded, already knowing that. "In one of the books I read, it mentioned a lesser-known diet for vampires; only a small percentage follow it."

"And that is?"

"They don't drink human blood."

Sirius frowned. "So what do they drink? Vampires survive only due to human blood."

"They drink animal blood, the book contains accounts from some anonymous sources that state vampires _can_ survive on animal blood. It sustains them, keeps them going but it doesn't completely satisfy the thirst for human blood, but it does keep it at bay. I imagine the more dangerous the animal, the more satisfying the blood."

"So why don't all vampires follow this diet?" He asked confused.

"It's a difficult transition to make from human blood to animal blood. It can take decades to learn to resist human blood and even then the temptation is still there."

"How do you know these boys Hermione mentioned have this diet?"

"The only indication is the eye colour, gold. The longer they go without drinking animal blood, the darker their eyes will become. I imagine for those boys to be around humans so frequently, they must be drinking animal blood regularly," Remus frowned. "It may explain the destroyed trees we found. They may have used these woods as a hunting ground. I've heard a few elk in passing."

"So they're not a risk to Hermione?"

"Until we meet them and learn their intentions we can't be sure of that, we'll have to be on our guard more than ever."

The screaming started. The signal that Hermione's memories were plaguing her.

~000~000~000~

"You have to be faster, Hermione," Remus chided as Hermione was hit with a Slicing Hex to her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Alpha. It's a little disorientating when you've been slammed into a tree, whilst simultaneously duelling two men twice your age," she said sarcastically and Sirius chuckled at her.

"You're the one that wanted to increase the difficulty level," he argued whilst throwing a particularly nasty Stinging Hex, which she dodged whilst blocking Sirius' strong Stunning Charm.

"Yes, but you could've given me a bit of warning, I hadn't even stepped out of the tent before you attacked me."

"Death Eaters won't give you any warning."

"I know that, but just so you know, I won't be giving you any warning either," she replied.

Suddenly, she turned on the spot and apparated and before they could blink she reappeared behind Sirius and he turned around to be hit in the chest with a non-verbal Tickling Jinx. Sirius fell to the floor in uncontrollable laughter and Remus' mouth twitched in amusement and pride.

She was really getting good at non-verbal spells, she had made more progress with it than they had, but they were doing better with their wandless magic, whereas she was struggling.

"That's better," he praised.

He turned on the spot and apparated but she was expecting it and she allowed her war-induced instincts to take over. She turned to the left and immediately cast a Shielding Charm, just as a Stinging Hex was sent her way and it rebounded off her shield with Remus blocking it, too.

She ran towards him and he braced himself, pointing his wand, a spell on the tip of his tongue. She did something he wasn't expecting. She jumped through his parted legs and skidded across the rough ground, twisting her body and hitting him with a Stinging Hex to the arse. Remus growled, the wolf coming to the surface the day of the full moon.

He spun around but wasn't fast enough as she kicked her leg out, swiping his legs out from underneath him and he fell to the ground. Hermione cast a Stunner and then an _Incarcerous_. She stared down at them smugly, Remus bound and struggling with the ropes that were tightening the more he moved and Sirius rolling on the floor laughing. Taking pity on them, she cancelled the spells.

"You got your arse kicked by a girl," Sirius howled in laughter as he pointed to Remus.

"So did you," he grumbled in reply. "At least I never got taken down by a Tickling Jinx." Sirius; laughter stopped suddenly and he scowled. Remus turned to Hermione. "Nicely done, that's not normally a spell that would be used in battle," he praised.

"That's why I used it; it was unexpected and still incapacitates an opponent without injury. If you want to win you can't be using the obvious tools, you have to think outside of the box, not to mention, distraction is a great tool to have in your arsenal."

"You complained on purpose to distract us?" Sirius questioned in disbelief.

"Yes, and you fell for it, now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for a school I don't want to be at."

They chuckled at her as she walked back into the tent.

"Maybe she _was_ ready to advance her training after all," Remus mused.

"But are we?" Sirius said and Remus laughed at him. "I think I pulled a muscle with all that laughing, I thought I was going to die."

"By the way," they turned to see Hermione popping her head out of the tent. "I know that Edward and Jasper are vampires that drink animal blood." They blinked slowly. "They're not going to hurt me or I at least know Jasper won't. He wasn't bothered by my blood when I got that cut on my hand yesterday in class and he was covered in it. He actually looked concerned and he took me to the nurse's office. My blood doesn't affect him, but you would know that if you read chapter twenty-three of _A Vampire's Tale_. Only half the population of wizarding folk are actually tempting to them and it seems that I'm not part of that half and if I had to guess, I'd say you two wouldn't be either given your Animagus status and your Lycanthropy."

"How did you know they're vampires?" Remus asked.

"I overheard you this morning; you didn't really think seven years of fighting a war wouldn't give me good instincts, did you? Of course, I knew you were there," she smirked before disappearing from view and Sirius barked out a laugh.

"That's our girl," he said proudly.

~000~000~000~

Hermione was nervous. It was the second day of school and she had classes with both of the vampire brothers. Knowing they were essentially vegetarians did lessen her worry and Jasper hadn't hurt her the day before when the beaker had sliced her palm open, because Merlin, that would've been a nightmare if Hermione had to defend herself in front of a room full of muggles. The fact that they spent so much time in a confined space with muggles also helped to lessen her nerves as it meant they could resist temptation, at least to some extent.

What had her nervous was what they wanted from her. They purposely paid attention to her and if the reactions it got from the students was anything to go by, she guessed the brothers kept to themselves.

They couldn't have been working for someone, it was impossible for anyone to find her so quickly; the trail they left should've covered them for at least six months. It must've been a coincidence. If they were working for someone, she couldn't see what they'd get in return for handing her over. They were godlike in appearance and had an abundance of charm to help attract their natural prey. She could tell by the car they drove they were likely wealthy. They had people drooling over them and everyone wanted to be their friend. They had easy access to animal blood and they could hide who they were and have a normal life with the climate of Forks.

It just didn't make sense to her.

"Hermione?"

She startled when she heard a stool scrape against the floor and someone greet her. She turned her head to see Edward sitting down beside her and smiling at her widely. How had she not noticed she was already in her Biology class?

"Edward," she greeted in what she hoped was a friendly tone. It must have worked because his smile widened; he genuinely looked happy to see her. He couldn't know who she was. He didn't want to hurt her.

They sat in a comfortable silence until they parted ways at Hermione's English Literature class. When she entered there was someone sat in the seat she had occupied the day before as they'd obviously been off ill, so Hermione crossed to the back of the room to take the only seat available. She sat next to a small girl with black hair and a pixie cut, a small nose and pink lips, golden eyes and pale skin, her beauty was a little unnerving and she couldn't be more than four-foot-ten standing up. When Hermione sat down the girl introduced herself, although she seemed wary of her.

"You must be, Hermione, I'm Alice Cullen, Edward's sister."

' _Another vampire,'_ Hermione thought. "Just how many of you are there?" Hermione spoke, but she didn't realise that she'd said it out loud. Alice gave a tinkling laugh. "I'm sorry, that was rude," she said embarrassed.

"I'm sorry that my brother hasn't spoken about much us, I believe that you've already met my boyfriend, Jasper Hale."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, both your brother and boyfriend have been very kind to me."

"My parents, Carlisle and Esme, will be glad to hear that. My brother and sister, Emmet and Rosalie, maybe not so much."

Hermione couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. Alice held out her hand out wanting to see her reaction but when Hermione took it she showed nothing. Alice, on the other hand, froze, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her breathing pattern changed.

Images flashed through her mind, images of the future. Hermione was staring at Alice worriedly. She tried to get her attention by calling her name and shaking her shoulders but nothing worked and just as the teacher entered, Alice snapped out of it. She looked at Hermione before a wide smile appeared on her face and she unexpectedly wrapped Hermione up in her arms -being careful not to hurt her- and she hugged her tightly.

"We're going to be the best of friends," Alice stated factually. "I love your shoes, where did you get them? And those jeans are just to die for."

Hermione looked down at her clothing, seeing her white cashmere jumper, a pair of blue skinny jeans with lace patches and black heeled ankle boots with two silver buckles.

"Oh, a little boutique in London, my father insisted that I get anything that caught my fancy, whether I would wear it or not," she answered.

Alice beamed. "My kind of man, and Rosalie would just love those boots."

"I have another pair, still with the tags on if she would like them," Hermione offered and Alice all but shrieked. "And I have a blue floral summer dress that would be lovely with your skin tone."

Again, she all but shrieked. "I love you," Alice sighed and Hermione chuckled.

~000~000~000~

After two hours of English Literature, Alice dragged Hermione to the cafeteria and straight to her table where Edward and Jasper were already waiting. Upon their entrance, they both looked surprised at the way Alice was clinging to Hermione and chatting happily. They could tell something had happened. Jasper could feel the excitement and joy within Alice and Edward froze when he saw what Alice had seen in her partial vision.

He turned to Jasper and whispered, "When she touched Hermione she had a vision. It's just bits and pieces but it's better than before. Hermione's going to be in our future whether we like it or not, and apparently, we do."

Jasper's smile seemed to widen at that news; he liked Hermione, he felt comfortable around her and to learn she was definitely a part of their future was a weight lifted off his shoulders. Edward, on the other hand, was nervous. It was all but confirmed that Hermione was his mate, but she was human and he wouldn't turn her, he couldn't. But if she was going to be in his future, he couldn't be sure what would happen. All he'd seen was that everyone was happy but there were still blanks in Alice's vision and he'd have to be on his guard.

Hermione was his future whether he liked it or not, and surprisingly, he did, as did his siblings. He knew his parents would love her, as would Emmet, the only person he worried about was Rosalie. But Hermione was different and he would do whatever he could to find out what it was that drew not only him, but his brother and now apparently his sister to her, too.

"Hey, boys, why didn't you tell me that Hermione had such good taste in clothing?" Alice questioned, taking a seat and Hermione slowly sat down next to her, aware of everyone's eyes on her.

"I thought I'd leave that surprise for you," Jasper spoke amused.

"She's got a dress for me, and shoes for Rosalie, she even said she may have a jacket for Esme," Alice grinned.

"You've created a monster," Jasper mock whispered and he ducked the grape Alice threw at him. Hermione couldn't stop the chuckle at the action.

Jasper beamed when he felt some of the sadness within her lighten. If she was to be in his future, he would sure as hell find out what had caused her to feel the way she did and he would do what he could to help her.

Hermione actually found herself enjoying the company of the three vampires, she was even impressed to see them playing with their food, making it look as though they were eating it. There wasn't long before the next lesson was due to start and that was when she felt as if someone was burning a hole in the back of her head.

Hermione's spine straightened and her hand automatically reached for her jumper sleeve where her wand was underneath, and she slowly turned to look over her shoulder, being surprised to see that one girl, in particular, was murderously glaring at her.

"Guys," Hermione spoke. "Who is that and why does she look like she's planning my death?"

Three pairs of golden eyes turned to look at the girl in question. She could've sworn she heard several low snarls but she shook it off as her imagination.

"That's Bella Swan," Alice said with a frown in Bella's direction.

"And _why_ is she planning my death?" Hermione asked.

"She's my ex-girlfriend," she heard Edward mutter.

Hermione's eyebrow rose. _'Interesting, he dated a human,'_ she thought.

"Ex?" She asked intrigued, looking back at Bella who was still glaring at her.

"We broke up three months ago, the text she sent me was more than enough to clarify that fact."

"Well, she doesn't appear to be over it with the way she's glaring at me."

"Just ignore her. _She_ broke up with _me_ , she has no right to be jealous."

"And why would she be jealous?"

"You're sitting with us. We pretty much keep to ourselves. It was months before she sat at our table with us, and here you are, on your second day, sitting with the elusive Cullens," Jasper answered amused.

"Well then, she needs to get her priorities straight," Hermione muttered. She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she turned to look at Bella, raised an eyebrow and then gave a small smile.

Edward watched in wonder as Hermione relentlessly stared down Bella. Bella was the most stubborn person he'd ever met, but much to his surprise, the first to turn away was Bella.

His hearing suddenly picked up on whispers and as if knowing he was listening, Bella turned to him and gave a very un-Bella like smirk. It had him worried for Hermione's safety. If the thoughts going through Jessica and Lauren's heads were anything to go by, it wouldn't end well for Hermione.

"Be careful," he spoke suddenly.

"Sorry?" Hermione asked confused.

"Be careful around Bella and her friends, _please_ be careful."

"I can handle a bunch of hormone-crazed teenagers," Hermione snorted, a sudden sad look crossing her face. "I've been through far worse than any situation they could put me in." They all heard the truth in her words and Jasper felt it through her emotions. "If they even look at me the wrong way they'll be sorry. Even if it's not me that deals with them, my fathers are _very_ protective of me," a small smile touched her lips at the thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Friday 6th October 2006**

It was the last lesson of the day, PE and Hermione was sure she could easily handle whatever was thrown her way. She'd always been rubbish at sports but once she started Hogwarts, her athletic abilities and stamina had somewhat improved, what with being in constant danger, running for her life and all that tripe, and when she started her training with Sirius and Remus a few months prior, her athletic abilities were as good as they'd ever been before.

Her thoughts wandered as she used the toilets in the locker room to change as she didn't wish for anyone to see her scars, not being in the mood for the stares, whispers or questions that would follow. It was the full moon that night and Hermione was worried; despite going through the process of worry once a month since her third year, Remus had been forced to change once a month since he was four, and Sirius keeping him company as Padfoot since he was fifteen, she _always_ felt worried. She couldn't help it. The sooner she completed her transformation the sooner she could be with them at the full moon and her worry would dissipate with them in her sight.

Hermione stepped out of her jeans and swapped them for a pair of black leggings, slipping on pair of black trainers and she followed that with an old Gryffindor jersey of Harry's. With a wave of her wand, she altered the size so it fit to her frame perfectly and she tied her hair up into a ponytail, keeping it out of her face.

Exiting the toilet stall, she followed the girls to the gymnasium where the boys were already present, chatting between themselves in little groups. It appeared both Edward and Jasper were in her class and in some unspoken agreement, she crossed straight over to them.

"Who's Potter?" Edward asked when he saw the name scrawled across her shirt.

A sudden wave of despair hit Jasper full force like a punch to the gut and having not expected it, he stumbled slightly, Edward catching and righting him in surprise and both their eyes darted to Hermione's pained expression.

"He was my best friend," she whispered, looking at the ground.

"Was?" They both asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"He died in May. He was more than just my best friend, he was like my little brother. My father, Sirius, was actually Harry's Godfather. I don't have much left of him."

They looked to each other in surprise and then back to her, neither knowing what to say to that.

Jasper cleared his throat. "We're doing drills today," he said, breaking the tension and he felt her sadness lessen and sighed in relief; he _never_ wanted to feel that again.

"Coach is brutal, the girls usually just fake injuries and sit out gossiping," Edward shrugged his shoulders. "So, what's your injury?" He asked with a grin.

"I'm perfectly healthy, thank you very much," she huffed. She _hated_ it when people assumed things about her character or capabilities.

"You're doing it?" They both questioned, clearly surprised.

"Yes," she huffed. "I'm not some idiotic, simpering twit."

"Idiotic? Simpering?" Jasper asked amused.

Hermione nodded, gesturing behind him. Both he and Edward turned and they couldn't help but roll their eyes when the girls sighed, obviously being caught ogling. Hermione wasn't surprised. Edward and Jasper both wore grey t-shirts that clung to them, showing off their slightly muscled frames which suited them for Edward's height of six-foot-two and Jasper's height of six-foot-three. With their grey t-shirts they wore blue knee-length shorts and grey running shoes.

"Idiotic and simpering," Jasper agreed with a nod.

"You'd never act that way?" Edward asked with a twitch to his mouth, seeing the way she narrowed her eyes at him for even daring to suggest such a thing.

"I'd rather die than lose my brain cells and act like that," she gestured to the girls again and they snorted at her.

"You're a mystery," Edward said with a smile.

"You've said that before,"

"Just stating the obvious," he shrugged.

At that point, the Coach blew a whistle gaining everyone's attention and as predicted the girls faked injuries and Coach pretended that their injuries were genuine and let them sit off to the side in the stands. Coach looked at her intrigued and he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm British," she said, as if it explained everything and he blinked before shrugging his shoulders.

The drills consisted of five laps of the gym, completing one hundred push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks, followed by completing the obstacle of tyres, hurdles and climbing the rope, and finally another five laps of the gym. The person with the fastest time was rewarded by finishing the class early and the rest had to do a further five laps. Four people were to do the drills at the same time, with someone else timing them with a stopwatch and Coach would observe and jot down the results on the clipboard he held in his hand.

And so it started. The class watched and the girls watched and gossiped and they were particularly loud when Edward and Jasper had their turn. Of course, they had the fastest times of the class with Jasper being behind Edward by half a second. She was impressed they were able to keep themselves in control, although, they did still had superhuman speed.

They'd even managed to look out of breath when they finished, bending over and resting their hands on their knees and breathing deeply. The effect would've worked a lot better if they actually had to breathe or if they were sweating and red in the face. They were easily fast enough that they could leave the gym, splash some water on their faces and be back before anyone had even noticed they'd moved.

Hermione, however, didn't have superhuman speed so she had no need to hold anything back and she didn't. She was up against Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie and another boy called Tyler, the final four to complete the course.

They stepped up to the start line, ready to begin with the first five laps. Newton and Yorkie smirked at her as if they knew she'd lose, Hermione only responded with a blank look, not giving anything away. When the whistle was blown, they set off.

She was the first to finish the five laps before heading into the middle of the gym to do the push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks, all with little effort. She then headed straight for the tyres, jumping through them, jumping over the hurdles and ducking under them, too, before climbing the rope and then moving to do the final five laps.

She was aware of everyone staring at her in surprise as she only had one lap to go and she was in the lead, beating Newton by two laps, Tyler by three and Yorkie by four.

Edward and Jasper watched her in wonder, unbelieving of what they were witnessing. Not only was she winning but with the way she was going, so was on track to beat even their times. They looked to one another in disbelief, gave a little laugh and then turned back to her. She had half a lap to go before she'd completed her drills and she was just about to pass the stands.

All of a sudden, Edward and Jasper's head snapped up and towards the stands when they heard the whispers, the mean comments.

"Go, on Bella, do it," Lauren encouraged.

"Not yet, she needs to get closer," Bella replied, fiddling with an unopened water bottle in her hand and as Hermione drew closer, it _slipped_ from her hand, rolling across the floor.

They could see Hermione was going to stand on it; she would slip and then likely break something when she hit the floor. Jasper and Edward were ready to call out a warning, but it wasn't needed as Hermione unexpectedly launched off the ground, jumping over the water bottle she wouldn't have seen if she hadn't have looked at the right time. She did a front somersault and when her feet next touched the ground, she leaned forward and rolled over her shoulder on the floor, getting back onto her feet and continuing with her running as if nothing had happened.

"What the hell?" Jasper muttered in surprise before snorting at the shocked look on Edward's face. "She's _nothing_ like Bella, she would've fallen flat on her face before she even started her first lap," Jasper commented and Edward nodded silently in agreement.

Hermione crossed the finish line, her run slowing to a jog and then to a walk as she past Jasper and Edward, their eyes following her movements as she headed for the bottle of water and plucked it off the ground.

"Bella, right?" She said to Bella, who nodded in return silently. "Well, thank you for this," she waved the bottle in her hand and then walked back over to Edward and Jasper, making sure the girls saw her open the bottle and take a drink from it.

"That was awesome," Jasper commented.

Her mouth pulled into a smile. "I told you I could handle them."

"Where did you learn to do that? How aren't you dying?" Edward asked, his eyes darting between her and the rest of the gym.

"My life was very...Hectic," she replied carefully. "I was always required to think on my feet and be fast on my feet," she said with a sad smile pulling at her mouth.

"Why?"

"My friends were always getting into trouble at school and I was either bailing them out or running down the corridor away from the caretaker with them."

Before they had the change to question her further, the Coach called their attention and they headed over to him. He announced that Hermione was the winner with the fastest time and she smirked at everyone who stared at her in complete disbelief.

"See you later, boys," she said, mock saluting them as she turned and left out of the gym.

"That's one hell of a mate you've got yourself," Jasper spoke so only Edward could hear and he smiled at Jasper proudly.

Hermione entered the locker room and instead of showering she used some Cleaning Charms on herself before quickly getting changed. She cast Cleaning Charms on her discarded clothing before putting them into her satchel and then she exited the locker room and decided to sit outside on one of the benches, making a start on her History homework. Twenty minutes later, she looked up as students started to leave the school, heading home for the day and Alice slid onto the bench beside her.

"You should meet my parents," she said lightly.

Hermione choked on her breath. "Bloody hell! We've been friends all of one day. I didn't meet my friend, Ron's parents until a few weeks before our second year; it's my second day, Alice."

"Alice, leave Hermione alone," she heard Edward say and she didn't have to look to know that he was rolling his eyes.

"I was just saying,"

"And so am I,"

Alice huffed at him.

"Okay, enough of this sibling rivalry rubbish, I better head off."

"Where are you off to in a rush?" Jasper asked amused.

She looked up at the sky to see it beginning to darken; the moon would soon to be rising.

"I have a family obligation that I have to get to," she explained. "I'll see you later," she said before she stood, gathered her belongings and left, walking towards the woods and disappearing in the cover of the trees. They heard a sharp 'crack' and looked at each other confused.

"There was that noise again," Jasper commented. "Why does she always go to the woods?"

"I don't know," Edward shrugged, his eyes locked on the place he'd last seen Hermione.

~000~000~000~

"Papa, Alpha, I'm home!" She called as she entered the tent and put her bag down on the table.

"Hey, Snowflake," he greeted as they both came into the room. "How was school?" Sirius asked her whilst sitting down on the couch, Remus, however, paced about in the room like a caged tiger.

On the day of the full moon, Remus always had an influx of energy that he could never get rid of, no matter how hard he tried and no matter what he did. It was the first couple of days after the full moon when he would be exhausted. The first day he wouldn't get out of bed, well, Hermione wouldn't _let_ him get out of bed. The second day, he would be slow on his feet but better and by the third day, he would almost be back to his normal self.

"Not too bad, I kicked everyone's arses in PE," she grinned.

"That's our girl, what did you have to do?"

"Drills, five laps of the gym, an obstacle course, one hundred push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks and another five laps, I had the fastest time, even beat the two vampires." He laughed at her pleased expression."But honestly, the training you have me doing is far more difficult, speaking of, should we do some training now, it'll help keep you occupied, Alpha," she looked over her shoulder to the agitated werewolf and nodded vigorously, already stepping out of the tent before either of them had stood from their seats.

~000~000~000~

The full moon had been up for a few hours and Hermione couldn't sleep. Sirius and Remus had walked further into the woods and Hermione had erected wards around them, giving Moony a five-mile radius of freedom. The wards would keep them in but also people out in case there were people roaming around the woods.

Afterwards, Hermione had apparated back to the tent and she curled up on the sofa when she heard the all too familiar howl of her Alpha, the transformation was complete and now she knew that he would be fine with Sirius.

Having nothing better to do, she decided to try and make some progress in her transformation. After grabbed a large cushion and sitting on the rug in front of the lit fireplace, she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes, clearing her mind and controlling her breathing using the breathing exercises Sirius had taught her.

They'd all been surprised to learn that her Patronus was no longer an otter. She'd learned to cast her Patronus in her fourth year; using the learning of the charm as a stress reliever and a place to escape to when she'd been stuck in the middle of her two best friends. Soon enough, she and Harry could be found alone in an abandoned classroom, spending hours watching as their Patronuses dashed and darted around the room as played with one another.

Hermione imagined herself as an animal, running through the woods as free as can be. The leaves and twigs beneath her feet breaking under her weight. The wind blowing through her fur and whistling against her ears. The smell of mud, dirt and all the wildlife hitting her nose. The sound of the owls hooting, the rabbits hopping and disturbing the ground, the elk's hooves hitting the ground as they ran. She imagined the sights all around her. Colours darker and brighter than she'd ever seen before, she could see far ahead into the distance dots became wildlife and blurs became trees.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked down at herself in surprise. Her arms had grown longer and where her hands once were, were now replaced with paws. Soft white fur had started to sprout on her arms and she gasped in awe but her glee was short-lived because as soon as it happened, the fur vanished and the paws turned back into her hands.

She frowned but she felt some form of achievement as it was the first time she'd made any physical changes in her transformation. She guessed she likely would've succeeded if she hadn't have gotten so distracted.

She couldn't wait to tell Sirius and Remus about the development.

~000~000~000~

**Saturday 7th October 2006**

Hermione apparated not far from the wards and she made the rest of the journey on foot. When she felt the magic of the wards, it took very little time to remove them and with a thick black robe thrown over her arm, she quickly walked through the woods until she found Padfoot lying beside an unconscious and naked Remus.

She wasn't as bashful as she used to be; spending a better part of a year on the run with two teenage boys and living in a tent, there was no privacy. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd seen Harry and Ron naked or the times they'd walked in on her. She'd even seen Fred and George naked but that was a story for another time. Thankfully, she'd never seen Sirius naked, the most being him clad in only his underwear as he liked to wander around with as fewer items of clothing as possible. Remus, on the other hand, she'd seen naked more times than she wished to given his status as her father.

Quickly approaching the two Marauder's, she crouched down beside Remus and used her wand to slip the robe on to him.

"Let's go," Hermione said to Padfoot.

He nodded and changed back into his human form and together they both levitated the unconscious werewolf from the ground, set him on his feet and they supported his weight between them before Hermione apparated them back to their tent.

They landed outside of the wards with Sirius pressing his want to the barriers and stepping through once they'd been granted access. By this point, Remus had woken and the pain and soreness hit him full force, grunts and groans leaving him. They helped him into the tent and headed straight for Sirius and Remus' bedroom. When they entered through the door, Hermione summoned a selection of potions from her potions lab whilst Sirius helped Remus into bed.

Hermione still remembered the argument she and Sirius had had over bedroom colours schemes and Remus chuckling at them, shaking his head in amusement and staying far away from their conversation, not wanting to be dragged into it, too. Sirius had wanted to decorate their bedroom in red and gold, but so did Hermione. Of course, Hermione won the argument. As such, Sirius and Remus' had settled for navy blue and white. Their bedroom was similar to hers except it was bigger and their bathroom was fitted with twin sinks, a large shower _and_ bathtub, a glass cabinet and a linen closet. They had plain navy blue walls with white wooden floorboards, a large king-sized bed with navy blue bedding and it was against the back wall with a white frame and headboard and two white bedside tables. They also had a walk-in closet, a large white desk and chair sat against the left wall, two white leather armchairs and a glass table sat off to the right of the room and floating candles had yet to be lit.

"Pain Potion," Hermione handed Sirius the potion and he poured it down an exhausted Remus' throat before setting the empty vial on the bedside table. "Calming Draught," she handed Sirius the potion who once again poured it down Remus' throat. "Essence of Dittany." Sirius took the potion and proceeded to pour it over some of Remus' injuries caused by the transformations and they watched as his skin healed, knitting back together. "Murtlap Essence." Sirius took it and covered the scrapes on Remus' body, watching them sooth and heal. "Dreamless Sleep Potion," she handed him the final potion and it was poured down Remus' throat. The last thing he saw was that of a smiling Sirius and Hermione before he fell into a deep sleep.

"I'll brew the Invigoration Draught now, you get some sleep. I'll wake you both when dinner's ready."

"You should be focusing on school," Sirius sighed, making his way to his side of the bed, the right.

"Nope, we made a deal. I stay home the day after the full moon to take care of you, well, I will when the full moon lands on a school night, that is. Besides, I need to brew more potions and I don't have time with me being at school so much, the Invigoration Draught has over fifty steps that need to be completed perfectly and I'll make a start on the new batch of Wolfsbane Potion seeing as that takes three weeks to brew. Also, I _know_ The Order told the school that I would be out once a month for a family obligation. They even went so far as to calculate the date of the full moons for the next year and they gave them to the school so they'd know what days I won't be attending. It's an authorised absence."

"You take good care of us," he sighed tiredly.

"I do, but you both take good care of me in return. Morning, Papa."

"Morning, Snowflake."

She kissed his cheek before heading out of the room and straight to her potions lab, where she spent most of the day brewing and when she took a break she headed into the kitchen and prepared dinner.

Dinners after the full moon were always a strange one. It wasn't exactly one meal, more like several different foods that usually wouldn't be put on the same plate. Remus needed his proteins, his fats, sugars and his carbohydrates and for that reason Hermione usually made a variety of different foods, more so like a small buffet.

She cooked a few steaks, making sure to still keep Remus' a little on the raw side. She cooked pasta and rice, mash potatoes and she baked a large chocolate cake, too. When she finished, she cast the appropriate Stasis Charms over the food and headed back to her potions lab.

At six o'clock she decided to wake her fathers as they'd been asleep since the early hours of that morning. When they woke she made sure they each showered and dressed, even if it was in their pyjamas, and then they sat at the dining table. After a few mouthfuls of food, Remus was already looking better.

"I have something to tell you," Hermione said, no longer being able to keep it to herself.

"And that is?" They both asked, completely by accident but neither had noticed and her mouth twitched in amusement.

"I was working on my transformation last night. When I opened my eyes my hands had turned into paws and fur started to grow on my arms, it stopped and returned back to normal when I got excited though," she frowned and they grinned at her.

"We told you you'd get there eventually. You're more than halfway there now," Sirius said proudly and she a beaming smile found its way onto her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Sunday 8th October 2006**

Now that Hermione was sure Remus and Sirius would be alright by themselves, she was less anxious to leave them alone. It was Sunday and the day she would be shown around by Paul.

He was a little odd but Hermione couldn't help but like him, he reminded her a little of Charlie Weasley with his shameless flirting and cocky attitude. She dressed for the day in a pair of black converse, pale blue skinny jeans, a white off the shoulder long-sleeved t-shirt and a black hooded tracksuit jacket. She hid her wand in her sleeve with the holster, making it invisible even if she were to remove her jacket. She was comfortable and the clothing was casual and suitable for wherever he took her.

"Okay, I'm leaving, are you sure you don't need anything?" Hermione asked Remus as she walked into the living room. He looked far better than he had the day before.

"We'll manage just fine without you, Hermione," he chuckled.

"Make sure to take the Invigoration Potion in half an hour and make sure that..."

"I know, Hermione," he said softly.

"And make sure to..."

"Hermione, I know," he repeated.

"Sorry, I just worry about you," she sighed, pushing her hair back from her face.

"I'm the parent here; it's _my_ job to worry about _you._ "

"I can't help it,"

"I know you can't. We may be in hiding but that doesn't mean you can't at least try and have a life here."

"Well, I better go before I'm late," she kissed his cheek as she walked by him. "Tell that lazy sod I call my father that I'll see him later."

Remus chuckled at her. "You and I both know that it's a Sunday and that means he won't be awake until after lunch."

Hermione laughed. "Bye, Alpha," she called as she stepped out of the tent.

She walked away from the ward for a few minutes before turning on her heel and apparating behind the trees surrounding the row of shops and diner of La Push. She stepped out from the cover of the woods and crossed the road, heading towards the diner where she was surprised to see Paul already stood waiting for her.

When he saw her approaching he gave her a charming smile and she rolled her eyes. He wore a pair of black trainers, jean shorts that had been cut off at the knees and a dark green vest that showed his bulging muscles. It didn't surprise her.

"You're on time," he commented with a smile.

"So are you," she spoke. "I'm used to people keeping me waiting; I, on the other hand, have always been punctual,"

"So, where do you want to start first?" He asked her.

"I have no idea; I'm new to town remember?"

He grinned at her. "Well then, I know just the place."

They spent a couple of hours with Paul showing Hermione around La Push and explaining the history, mentioning the Quileute Tribe and explaining the land ownerships. Hermione, always being one to never turn down the opportunity to learn something new, was enthralled as he spoke and Paul lapped up the attention.

They headed to the diner for lunch and Hermione watched with a look of fond sadness at the amount of food he ate. It reminded her of holidays at the Burrow.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, noticing her expression.

"I'm fine,"

He looked down at his two empty plates of food and his half-full third plate. "You're not surprised at how much I've eaten?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," she said with a small smile. She had a look on her face, as if she was remembering something fondly. "Back home there was this family, the Weasley and they were like family to me. When I wasn't at school with the Weasley children I was staying with them during the holidays. The amount of food they ate would put you to shame; they could eat three plates of Sunday roast, go back for fourths and still have room for dessert," she said with a light laugh. "Every mealtime there were arguments over food and there was always at least one food fight a day."

It was clear he was surprised by what she'd told him. "How many of them were there?"

"Arthur and Molly Weasley were the parents and they had seven children."

His eyes widened. "Seven?" He spluttered.

"Hmmm, Bill and Charlie had already left school and moved away by the time I started my first year and I didn't really meet them until my fourth year because they're so much older, Bill by nine years and Charlie by seven. Then there was Percy, he was a bit of an arsehole but he did good when the time called for it. He was four years older, in his fifth year when I started my first. Then there were the twins, Fred and George, the trouble makers. They were legends around school. They're two years older than me and were in their third year when I started my first year. Then there was Ron, he was the same age as me and one of my best friends. And finally there was Ginny, she was a year younger than us and the baby and only girl of the family," she shrugged her shoulders as he stared blankly. "I'll never meet another family like the Weasleys," she said sadly.

She was playing with her food, her fork pushing the ketchup covered fries around the plate and a frown settled on his face when he realised how little she had eaten.

"Aren't you going to eat that? Don't take this the wrong way but you're kind of..."

"Thin?" She finished for him. "I know, I'm _not_ anorexic and I _don't_ have an eating disorder if that's what you're thinking. I went through a tough time not too long ago, a lot of stress and I lost a lot of weight. I'm putting it back on and I've almost reached my original weight, it's just taking time."

He wanted to ask what she'd meant by that but decided against it, seeing the look she wore on her face. They finished with their lunch and then left the diner, Paul taking her to First Beach. They walked along the beach as they chatted and Hermione eventually took off her socks and shoes and removed her jacket, tying it around her waist. After a little while, they took a break from their stroll and sat down on the sand, Paul watching her amused as she made herself comfortable and started making a sandcastle with her hands.

"What?" She asked him, noticing the amused look on his face. "I haven't been to the beach since I was eight, leave me alone." He chuckled at her and shook his head.

When she moved, the sleeve on her right arm rode up slightly and he caught sight of something black on her right wrist.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" She asked, briefly looking up from her sandcastle.

"That on your wrist?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, too quickly to be believable.

He smirked at her and raised an eyebrow before he quickly leaned forward and took a hold of her wrist and he pulled her sleeve up. He was surprised to see the black silhouette of a howling wolf _tattooed_ on her wrist. He'd certainly never thought she'd be the type of person to get a tattoo and it just made her all the more interesting to him.

"A wolf, eh?" He wriggled his eyebrows and she couldn't stop herself from laughing at him.

"I've told you before; the wolf's the symbol of my family. Sirius has it tattooed onto his chest and so does Remus."

"You have two fathers?"

"Yes, but you knew that already. Sirius told you the other day in front of the diner."

"How do you know that?"

"He told me, we don't keep secrets."

"He told me he adopted you," he mentioned, watching for her reaction.

"Yes, Christmas of my sixth year at school. I was seventeen at the time."

"What happened?" He questioned, wondering if she'd tell him.

"My parents died," she said quietly and removing her arm from his hold, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Sirius adopted me. He went through a really hard time a few years ago and I helped him through it. My other best friend, Harry, he was Sirius' Godson."

He could tell from the tone of her voice that whatever had happened wasn't something she wished to discuss with him, so he dropped the subject.

"Let's walk further down the beach," he suggested. She nodded and grabbed her shoes and then stood up and they chatted as they continued with their walk.

He'd just made a comment that had Hermione shooting back a retort about his freakishly large size.

"I have big feet,"

"And?" She said with a cocked eyebrow.

"And you know what they say about guys with big feet," he smirked.

"Yes," she replied, turning to look at him. "They trip over easily," she smirked back.

He looked at her confused, missing when she held her foot out in front of him as he continued to walk. He tripped over her, falling to the ground headfirst like a sack of potatoes. Hermione burst into laughter and Paul looked up at her in surprise but his eyes soon narrowed in challenge.

She spun on her heel and took off in a run and seeing her doing so, Paul was quick to climb to feet and give chase, being a little surprised at how fast she could run. It took far longer than he'd like to admit to catch her given how much smaller and agile she was compared to him, but he was soon gaining on her and he reached out, grabbing her arm. As he did so, she lost her footing and she tripped to the ground with a laugh, pulling Paul down with her and he landed on top of her, barely catching himself on his hands to prevent him from crushing her.

Paul stared down at her as she had her head thrown back and was laughing loudly, joyous, the wind blowing her wild curls into her face. He didn't know why but the sound calmed him. From the very moment he'd phased he'd always been the most volatile of the pack, in fact, he was _before_ he even came into his heritage, but everything now was much worse. It didn't take much to set him off.

He felt comfortable around Hermione, he felt calm and relaxed. He had wondered if she was his imprint but he knew she wasn't. Imprinting was rare –so rare, only a single member of the previous pack had done so- and Sam, Jared _and_ Quil had all imprinted. That left the chance of imprinting for the rest of the pack a solid zero. He'd seen in the other wolves' thoughts what it meant to have an imprint and he knew Hermione wasn't it, but he could dream. He _knew_ in his gut that she would be a part of the pack's future, he just wasn't sure on the circumstances surrounding it.

Hermione's laughter tapered off when she finally realised that Paul was still on top of her and she lifted her head, her eyes watching him. He was staring down at her with a thoughtful look on his face and then his dark eyes caught hers. They flickered down to her mouth, back up to her eyes gauging her reaction before landing back on her mouth.

Hermione's breathing stopped entirely. She was sure he was going to kiss her, but did she want that? Would she stop him? It wasn't like her to snog someone she'd only met, he was still a stranger to her.

But she had this feeling that she couldn't quite explain. And she hadn't had any physical contact for months, -Sirius and Remus didn't count- the last being the adrenaline-filled kiss with Ron in The Chamber during the Final Battle.

She had already made up her mind and she knew she had. As his head slowly lowered, she decided she wasn't going to stop him.

~000~000~000~

Jacob's week wasn't ending well. Friday, he'd been patrolling with most of the pack since there seemed to be a vampire visiting frequently and they would catch it easier if there were more of them present. They'd heard a blood-curdling scream coming from towards the boundary line for Forks and the entire pack had raced towards the sound. Minutes later, they heard the howl of a wolf. It had stopped them in their tracks; it hadn't been one of their pack which meant they didn't know _who_ or _what_ it was. They'd caught the scent of something and followed it for seven miles, when it suddenly disappeared. They'd searched for almost an hour before they gave up and headed home for the night.

Later on Saturday night, they'd been patrolling again when they'd caught the scent again. They followed it but this time it didn't disappear and they patrolled the area to find that the scent covered five miles of the woods, a part of the woods that was just out of their territory. They found nothing and it wasn't just frustrating for him, but for the rest of the pack, too.

It was now Sunday and he was walking down First Beach with Quil, Jared, Embry and Seth. Leah never joined them and he didn't blame her. It sucked that she'd been dumped by her boyfriend because he turned into a wolf and then later imprinted on another woman, her cousin. Sam, his Alpha, would later be joining them after finishing up with mending the leaky roof on his house.

Jacob came out of his thoughts to hear that the other members of the pack were talking about Paul and that girl they called 'the English Rose' and he rolled his eyes. They hadn't _stopped_ talking about the British teen since they met her on Thursday.

"I wonder how Paul's getting on," Jared commented, sticking his hands in his jean pockets.

Seth laughed. "Hermione's not going to fall for his _charm_."

"You sure about that?" Embry spoke, pointing into the distance and their eyes followed, seeing two figures walking down the beach.

They were just in range that they could hear their conversation, immediately picking up on the voices of Hermione and Paul. They laughed when Hermione suddenly caused Paul to fall flat on his face and they were shocked when it took him a few minutes to catch her.

Jacob had watched the two, he had yet to meet Hermione and he had yet to see her face, but when he heard her laughter his chest filled with a kind of warmth he couldn't describe. He felt calmer, happier. He shook it off with a furrowed brow.

"Shall we interrupt?" Jared asked with a smirk, seeing that Paul was leaning in to kiss Hermione. He met no resistance as they all agreed, taking off at a jog, calling and yelling to get their attention. Jacob stayed behind and walked in the opposite direction.

He heard Paul growl from where he was standing and he couldn't stop the chuckle, knowing his pack mates would be getting an earful later on.

"Hermione!" The group called.

Paul grumbled, pushing himself off Hermione and away from her. She sat up, smiling in their direction. She refused to blush; she hadn't actually been caught doing anything.

"Hey, boys," she greeted. "Would you like to join us?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Quil spoke and they sat down, shooting a smug look at Paul who looked livid at being interrupted.

"Is he not joining us?"

Jacob heard Hermione ask as he continued down the beach. He had to admit her voice was soft and soothing, sending a wave of calm over him. Her accent was quite nice, too, gentle on his eyes. He frowned and continued walking further away from the group.

"Nope, that surly idiot is Jacob; he's just in a mood 'coz his friend's been ignoring him for three months."

Jacob resisted the urge to turn around, walk over to them and punch Embry in the face. Hard. Instead, he sat down on the sand and stared out at the sea, still close enough to hear their conversion but still giving him space to think.

"I know how that feels. I had two best friends in school, Harry and Ron. Ron ignored me for a month when his rat went missing. He blamed my cat thinking he'd killed it. His rat turned up a month later alive and well," she rolled her eyes and they chuckled at her. "And Harry and Ron both ignored me for three months because I did something for their safety they didn't like," she shrugged.

"So, you mentioned some school in Scotland, tell us about it," Seth spoke.

Hermione made to speak but she noticed another figure heading down the beach and towards them. From the distance between them, she could tell he was muscled, at least six-foot-six and had the same russet skin tone as the other boys. He was dressed similarly to Paul, as were the others and then she noticed they all had matching tattoos on their shoulders. She supposed it was the crest of the Quileute Tribe.

"Perhaps we should wait," Hermione spoke, nodding. They all turned towards him.

"That's Sam Uley."

~000~000~000~

Sam made his way down the beach towards the group of teenagers sat in a circle, seeing the members of his pack along with a girl, of who, he suspected was the girl they hadn't stopped talking about. Seriously! The only member who didn't talk about her was Jacob and Leah had never met her. He couldn't deny he was curious about the teenage girl who seemed to have captured the attention of five of his pack members. She was _all_ they talked about.

Sam recognised Jacob off in the distance and rolled his eyes. There was nothing he or anyone could say to break him out of his angry, depressed state; they'd all tried repeatedly and had now given up and decided to let him be and give him the space to deal with it himself.

Hearing Seth mentioning his name, he quickened his steps and came to a stop behind Quil and Embry, looking at the girl, who he admitted to himself, was quite pretty.

"You must be, Hermione, 'the English Rose'," he spoke in his deep voice. "The boys here haven't stopped talking about you." He heard the low mutters through his hearing and he barely stopped himself from laughing at their embarrassed expressions.

The girl gave him a friendly smile and he was surprised that she wasn't intimidated by him. Many were, particularly with him being the Alpha of the pack, he radiated authority. She stood and offered him her hand and he shook it, once more being shocked when she didn't react or comment on his too hot to be normal body temperature.

"Nice to meet you," she replied, removing her hand from his and sitting back on the ground in-between Paul and Seth.

"Would you like to join us? Seth requested that I tell him about my previous school," she said and being intrigued by her, he sat down next to Quil in the circle. "I was eleven when I received my letter to attend Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? I've never heard of it," Embry frowned.

"I would've been surprised if you had; it's kept a secret. It's a prestigious boarding school for those with exceptional gifts. You don't know about it until you receive your letter after your eleventh birthday. It's a thousand-year-old castle in the Scottish Mountains." Their eyes widened in surprise, looking to one another and then back to her. "The Hogwarts grounds are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen with the lakes and sports fields, forests and stone statues, towers and battlements. The castle itself has seven floors and centuries worth of hidden passageways and long since forgotten classrooms. Portraits line the walls and suits of armour and tapestries can be found in every corridor. It took me a while to get used to the layout but now I could lead you through the castle blindfolded."

Sam knew everyone was amazed, hell, _he_ was amazed! He couldn't imagine attending school at a castle, especially when you put it up against The Reservation's school with a perpetually leaking roof, splintered doorways and cracked windows.

A gust of wind blew Hermione's scent over to him and he breathed in deeply, frowning when he realised she smelled familiar. He remembered the pack telling him about her scent and now he understood what they'd meant.

"Her scent's stronger than before," Quil whispered to him. "It's still subtle, but stronger."

"And classes? Surely the curriculum is different to what you learn here," Jared asked Hermione, pulling their attention.

"It is," she nodded. "Since Hogwarts was a school for the gifted, we had lessons that weren't even taught in mainstream British schools, never mind here. We had two years of mandatory lessons and then for our third year we were allowed to pick electives that we would keep for the next three years, as long as we passed our exams in our fifth year. If we did we were allowed to continue with the subject for the last two years of school. If you failed you had to drop the subject and be one qualification down. I took twelve classes in total." They gawked at her. "It used to be thirteen but I dropped a class as I didn't agree with the subject basis."

"So why are you here for your final year of school and not at your boarding school?" Quil asked.

Her face fell, her eyes saddening.

"Something happened and we had to leave. My fathers' work brought us here."

They knew instantly that she was lying, about the last part at least; her heart rate had spiked.

"Your fathers?" Seth asked changing the subject. "What are they like?"

"Sirius is a man-child," she spoke without hesitation and they laughed at her. "You wouldn't think he was close to forty in age. He's a good man and he's been through a lot in his life, when the world was against him he still believed in himself and he did something about it. His life is better now. Remus is the adult out of three of us; he's far more protective of me than Sirius is. Like Sirius, he's been through a lot in his life, too. Sirius and Remus didn't have a great home life as Sirius' parents weren't nice people and they had certain beliefs which Sirius chose to ignore. He left home when he was sixteen and his best friend's parents, James, took him in. When Remus was four-years-old he got an illness, something that wasn't his fault and he was ostracised and has been for most of his life. He met Sirius in school, they along with James also attended Hogwarts. Remus and Sirius didn't actually get together until the summer before my sixth year at school. If it wasn't for them anything could've happened to me when I found myself an orphan." They watched her silently, listened to her thoughtfully. "If I can be even half of what they are then I'll be happy. Then I'll know that I've achieved something in life. Sirius and Remus are my heroes; there's nothing in the world I wouldn't do for them."

"Kill for them?" Jared asked with a raised eyebrow. It was a valid question, his wolf side coming out.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she whispered so quietly that if they were regular humans they wouldn't have heard her, but with their advanced hearing they heard perfectly and they stared at her, not knowing if she was joking or not.

A look of raw pain and suffering crossed her face and it broke all their hearts for reasons they couldn't quite explain. It just hurt them to see her so sad, in pain.

"What's your name?" Paul asked quickly, distracting her. "You never told us your full name."

"Oh, I guess I didn't. My name's Hermione Jean Black."

"WHAT!?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 15

**Sunday 8th October 2006**

Jacob had been listening attentively to her words; _what_ she said, _how_ she said it, and the _emotion_ behind it. He felt his chest constrict painfully, his heart seeming to stop and start and constrict and break when he heard the sadness in her voice. He couldn’t explain his reactions to her, he hadn’t even met her, never even looked at her.

Despite himself, he was intrigued by her, by the way she seemed to have wormed her way into the majority of the pack’s thoughts, the way she’d pulled Paul’s attention for more than two seconds. Usually, the volatile wolf met a girl, charmed his way into her pants and then never spoke to her or mentioned her again. He hadn’t _stopped_ talking about her since the day he’d met her.

He didn’t know why but when he’d heard that her last name was Black, his heart sped up and his breath left him, a twisting, fluttering sensation picking up in his stomach. He pulled himself to his feet and jogged over to join the group, seeing the surprised expressions of his pack as they noticed him approaching.

The girl, Hermione, turned her head to look behind her to where he’d halted to a stop. As her eyes caught his, his vision blurred, his head swam, his breath hitched, his stomach flip-flopped and his heartbeat so hard, he was almost afraid it was going to break free of his ribcage. He forgot everything. All of his worries and fears, all of his problems with Bella, the girl he’d loved was thrown from his mind; she didn’t matter to him anymore. Nothing did, nothing but _her_ , the girl sat before him.

He felt his world spinning and tipping on its axis; he felt weightless, as if gravity no longer existed, was no longer grounding him to the earth. _She_ was his gravity, his world, his everything. He would do anything for her, be anything for her. He didn’t care if she hated him, he didn’t care if she didn’t even want to breathe the same air as him; he would _always_ be hers.

“No fucking way,” he heard Jared whisper in disbelief, but it was as though he was underwater, everything was distorted and his hearing wasn’t functioning as it usually did.

Hermione’s large chocolate brown eyes were trapped in his gaze, unable to break free. She was the most beautiful being he’d ever seen; no one compared to her. Her ivory skin looked soft to the touch and her mahogany curls were sleek and shiny, as if they were made of silk.

He saw Hermione’s mouth moving and his eyes focused on her plump, pink lips, feeling his mouth suddenly go dry. Her mouth moved again and he shook his head, sound returning to him and he heard the pack laughing at him, sniggering between themselves.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” He said politely.

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” she said, her forehead creased as she eyed him carefully.

He chuckled at her. “I’m fine, Jacob Black,” he introduced himself, holding his hand out, praying that she would take it so he’d have an excuse to touch her. Why did he want to touch her so badly? So much so, it almost hurt.

“The surly idiot,” she nodded. The others snorted and Jacob grinned at her unabashedly. “Hermione Black.”

He felt a jolt of electricity shoot through him at her touch, a shiver running down his spine, his nerves tingling. Hermione frowned and then pulled her hand away; she’d obviously felt it, too.

Jacob’s head snapped up, as did the others, when they all heard a low growling coming from beside Hermione. It was Paul, his hands clenched into tight fists, his teeth clenched and his entire body shaking in anger. Panic like Jacob had never felt rush through him, instantly being ready to phase the moment Paul did, or to jump in front of Hermione to protect her from harm. But then something happened, something no one was expecting to.

Before anyone could stop or warn her, Hermione reached out, gently placing her hand on Paul’s shoulder and her eyes softened in worry.

Paul couldn’t even describe what’d had happened even if he tried. The anger coursing through his body like a raging fire just stopped. The moment her hand touched him, it was like a soothing balm and the fury vanished, leaving him feeling calmer than he had in a long time. 

They all stared between them surprised. _No one_ was able to pull back from phasing when they were at the stage of shaking, it being the final warning to get clear before you got injured.

“Are you okay, Paul?” Hermione spoke softly, looking directly at him. Jacob felt a stab of jealousy shoot through him.

Paul nodded. “Yeah, I am now,” he muttered in response, looking to Hermione in wonder and having the same thoughts as the others.

_‘How? Who are you?’_

Hermione looked unconvinced but nodded, drawing her hand back and then turning back to Jacob.

“So, I presume you’re the Jacob Black that Bella asked me about?”

“Bella?” Jacob repeated confused.

“On my first day at Forks High, she asked if we were related,” Hermione rolled her eyes and he laughed at her. “Black’s a fairly common name, not to mention we have a completely different lineage. She doesn’t like me.”

“Why?” He asked with a tone to his voice the others knew was his protective side coming through.

“Well, apparently, she doesn’t like me being friends with her ex-boyfriend, which I don’t understand, from what I’ve been told _she_ broke up with _him_ three months ago. As far as I’m aware, he can be friends with anyone he wishes to. She tried to trip me up in PE, she failed and I still had the fastest times,” she grinned.

“Wait, Edward Cullen? You’re friends with _Edward Cullen_?” Jacob growled out, his protective instincts and his hatred for the vampire flaring up.

“Yes,” she replied slowly, looking at him like he was crazy.

“He can’t be trusted, he’s dangerous,” his voice rose.

 _‘He didn’t know, did he?’_ Hermione thought.

“I’m sorry, but who are you? My father? Because I already have two and I don’t need another one. Edward, Jasper and Alice have been nothing but kind to me; whilst the other students spend all day gawking at me and following me to the bathroom, -the bloody _bathroom_ -they actually treat me like I’m a human being and not a zoo animal. They don’t ask the same pointless questions and they don’t intrude on my privacy,” she fumed.

They would’ve all sworn they saw her eyes darken and her hair spark, but they shook their heads knowing it must’ve been their imagination; such a thing wasn’t possible.

Hermione suddenly gave a little gasp, her hand flying up to grasp at her necklace tightly. They were sure they saw it vibrating and glowing red before her hand covered it, blocking it from their view.

“I have to go,” she said. “I forgot that I promised to meet with my fathers.” She stood with her shoes in her hand and she quickly slipped them back onto her feet. “I’ll see you guys later.” They nodded slowly, watching her change in behaviour closely. “You, however,” she spoke to Jacob and pointed a finger in his face, which was difficult seeing as he was six-foot-seven and she was only five-foot-six, an entire foot taller than her, “Need to get your attitude sorted out, what you did was incredibly rude and I’m sure you weren’t raised that way.”

Hermione turned on the spot and ran towards the woods by the edge of the beach, leaving behind a chastised Jacob Black and a confused pack of shape-shifters.

They’d all seen the direction she’d ran in and collectively agreed to follow after her, straight into the woods. However, they couldn’t see or hear her, it was like she’d just vanished and then they heard a sharp ‘crack’.

“Where’d she go?” Sam asked with a frown. “She can’t have just vanished into thin air.”

“Well apparently, she did,” Jared commented, shrugging and then turning to look at Jacob, the rest of the pack mimicking the movement.

“You imprinted on Hermione,” Seth stated in a strangely neutral tone.

Jacob nodded slowly in response, all of them turning when they heard a vicious growl and they saw that it was Paul, once again having lost control of his anger and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

“Paul,” Sam said in a tone of warning, his voice deepening.

“You knew!” Paul’s rage erupted, ignoring his Alpha. “You _knew_ I wanted her!”

“You just wanted to sleep with her,” Jacob growled, barely keeping his own anger in check.

“No, I didn’t!”

If no one had been paying attention before, they certainly were now.

“I didn’t just want to sleep with her. I’ve spent all day with her. She’s different, she’s not like the others.”

There was not a sound to be heard, not even wild animals, rustling leaves or the wind whistling. It was silent. Deadly silent.

“You...You like her?” Jacob said with a blank expression on his face, being surprisingly calm.

“She’s different. I don’t know what it is but I trust her, I don’t feel angry when I’m around her, she _calms_ me,” he confessed, his hands fisted tightly by his sides, doing his best to control himself. They all stared at him in evident surprise at his admission.

“I can’t help it, you know that. We don’t choose who our imprint is. If we did I would’ve chosen Bella and you would’ve chosen Hermione. It’s not my fault.”

Unexpectedly, Paul let out a snarl and then phased into the large silver-grey wolf, the wolf darting off through the woods and between the trees, leaving behind a surprised and silent pack.

“Leave him, he’ll get over it,” Sam ordered, seeing Jared had made to follow his friend.

“I don’t think he will,” Seth injected, sounding upset for his packmate. “He _really_ likes her and I don’t mean in a way where he wants to sleep with her, he _likes_ her, likes her. None of us have seen him this way with a girl before. She’s the only one that can keep up with him, challenge him. He’s never had that before; he’s not used to doing all the chasing as the girls flock to him. Hermione didn’t, she didn’t fall for his charms. I know what he means, though,” he said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. They tilted their heads curiously. “I trust her, I feel calm around her and I’m betting you all do, too. He’s said since the day we met her she was going to be a part of our lives and he was right. He just didn’t know that it would be in this way.”

They were all silent, knowing he spoke the truth.

~000~000~000~

“Are you okay?” Her fathers questioned before she’d even had the chance to step fully into the tent.

“We felt your anger,” Remus explained.

“Yes, I’m fine, just got a little wound up. I met Jacob Black.” They raised an eyebrow at the surname and shared a glance. “Paul took me for a tour around La Push and after lunch, we went to the beach. We ended up meeting the others but Jacob wouldn’t sit with us, he was in a mood apparently. I met Sam, he oozes authority, like you do Remus,” she said thoughtfully. “Jacob made an appearance, which resulted in him staring at me as though he’d just discovered I was his bloody sister, it was really weird. Especially when he got all protective and told me I couldn’t trust the Cullens because they’re dangerous.”

“He knows?” They questioned in surprise.

“I don’t know; how could he?”

“Can we see your memories?” Remus asked and she nodded, seeing no issue with the request. They didn’t keep secrets and she had nothing to hide. “Legilimency will be quicker,” he offered up.

Remus pulled his wand from his pocket and aimed it at Hermione’s temple, as he was the better legilimens between him and Sirius, and he wrapped his hand around Sirius’ upper arm so he would be able to see everything Remus did. When Remus muttered the spell, it took a few moments for Hermione to lower all of her defences and to save time and prevent a headache from having Remus searching through her memories, she pulled them to the front of her mind, ready to be seen. They were silent, the whole exchange feeling like a lifetime but in reality was only a few moments and then she felt their presence leaving her mind and she erected her mental barriers once more, giving her head a light shake and seeing the frowns on her fathers’ faces.

“The way he was looking at you, it was...Curious,” Sirius settled for. “And his reaction to the Cullens was interesting, the others didn’t seem pleased by their mentioning either, I wonder why,” he mused.

“What are you going to do?” Remus asked her.

“Until they give me a reason not to trust them, I won’t abandon any possible friendship there may be between us. And until the boys give me a reason not to trust them, I won’t abandon them either. I’ll just have to try and balance my interactions with them; I’ll see the Cullens at school and I’ll likely see the boys during the weekend or whenever I go into town.”

~000~000~000~

**Monday 16th October 2006**

Hermione was a nervous wreck; she was meeting the Cullen parents and their elder brother and sister for the first time. It didn’t bother or matter to her that they were likely vampires, too, rather it was more to the fact that she just didn’t like meeting the parents of her friends. She’d been a wreck when she’d met Molly and Arthur Weasley, to the point where she’d spilt her drink over George, knocked her fork on the floor _twice_ , smashed a glass _and_ elbowed Fred in the ribs when he’d startled her.

She’d rummaged through the overly large closet filled with clothes that she would likely never wear and found several items that could be given as gifts to the women of the family. The men were a little more difficult to shop for. They couldn’t be given food or drink for obvious reasons and it would just go to waste. Instead, she’d opted for rummaging through the bookcase and the first editions that no one even knew where there, herself included.

She’d found the first edition works of _King Lear_ by Shakespeare and she’d later discovered that one of Sirius’ ancestors had a sordid affair with Shakespeare himself, therefore the Black family was in possession of it and it just so happens that it was Mr. Cullen’s favourite play. For Edward, she’d found some handwritten notes once belonging to Beethoven, one of his favourite composers, and she’d found some battle plans handwritten by Napoleon for Jasper. It seemed that despite the Blacks hatred for muggles and anything less than Purebloods, they sure had their hands in a lot of honey pots in the Muggle World.

That just left Emmet; he was the most difficult to find a gift for. She knew from Jasper that he’d recently purchased a 1962 Triumph Spitfire and he’d had it shipped over from England along with some parts so it could be restored, but he was still missing a few components he was struggling to acquire, one of them being a steering wheel.

Hermione had no way of purchasing the correct part so instead she’d found an old steering wheel through her exploration in the woods and she’d used the computers at the school to do a little research into what the steering wheel should look like. She’d printed out a copy and returned home to transfigure the old steering wheel until it matched the image perfectly, and she’d been rather pleased with the results, it being one of the hardest transfigurations she’d ever done due to the impeccable detail that had needed to be mimicked.

When she’d shown Sirius the finished result to get a second opinion, he’d happily exclaimed that it looked exactly like an original no one would be able to tell the difference. After casting a few charms to ensure the transfiguration spells stayed in place, she boxed it and wrapped it.

She’d given herself the once over in the mirror to ensure she looked presentable in her black skinny jeans, black wedges and white silk blouse. She’d left her hair to fall down to her waist and she recast the Glamour Charms over her face to conceal the bags under her eyes, caused by months of sleep deprivation.

The time to leave for the Cullen’s property came all too soon for Hermione as she was due to meet them in just under half an hour, the knowledge not helping to settle her nerves. She’d memorized the address but had never actually been to the residence and so she’d done her best to find an appropriate image online at school and memorised it, hoping it was good enough to prevent splinching.

“You be careful, if you have to get out of there,” Remus spoke.

“I’ll be gone before they can even blink,” she promised.

“That’s our girl,” Sirius said proudly and they helped to shrink down the luggage so it would be more manageable for her to carry during travel.

“I’ll be back before nine o’clock at the latest,” she informed them.

They both nodded and she pressed kissed to their cheeks before leaving the tent, closing her eyes and focusing on the address and then she turned on her heel apparated with a sharp ‘crack’.

~000~000~000~

She landed with a ‘crack’ and her eyes immediately scanned her surroundings, seeing that she was stood on a dirt road that was encased with trees, them having grown in such a way it had made a tunnel. Ensuring there was no one nearby that had witnessed her apparition or that witness further magic use, she resized the bags and headed down the road. It was a ten minute walk before she came to a large white house, at least three floors high and it seemed to be made of nothing but glass windows. She could only imagine the beauty in the summer when the sun broke through the trees, or even the water cascading down the glass when it rained.

Giving her head a shake, taking a breath and steeling her nerves, she slowly made her way to the steps and the front door. She was sure they knew she was there and there’d be able to hear her approaching but she rang the doorbell anyway, as was expected of anyone who knew nothing of what they truly were, Alice, Jasper and Edward at least. The remaining four members had yet to be identified as vampires but the chance was high.

She didn’t have to wait long for Alice to open the door and she was pulled into a tight hug and Alice squealed in excitement, right into her ear, and she bit back her wince.

“Alice, can I please have back my ability to breathe?” Hermione wheezed and she heard chuckling coming from inside the house.

She’d made further progress with her transformation as she could now grow fur on her legs, her ears were pointed and moved to the top of her head and she could grow a tail, too. Along with the physical changes came the enhanced sense of hearing, which was very useful to her.

“Oh, sorry,” Alice chirped, pulling back from her. “You brought presents,” she said excitedly, taking Hermione’s hand in hers and dragging her into the house and to a large open planned living room, fitted with large white comfortable furniture and glass tables, light wooden flooring, a large expensive TV that sat on the wall above the fireplace which looked to be just for show, and beautiful works of art lined the walls.

Her eyes quickly fell to the four people she’d never seen before, but she knew instantly they were vampires, too, their pale complexion and bright golden eyes being strong indicators. The older man and woman, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, smiled brightly, shooting strange, undecipherable smiles towards Edward, the sight tugging at her heart as it reminded her of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Cullen had shoulder-length caramel coloured hair, a heart-shaped face and soft, kind features and she stood at five-foot-six, making her even with Hermione. Mr. Cullen had gelled back blonde hair, very similar to the Malfoys, angular features and he stood at six-foot-two, at least.

The older boy, Emmet, smiled at her mischievously and her heart clenched at the reminder of Fred and George. He had cropped, curly dark brown hair, almost black in colour, and was far more muscled than the other males, taller, too, standing at six-foot-five, the tallest in the room. The last girl, Rosalie, Hermione had never seen such beauty. She had pale blonde wavy hair that fell down to the middle of her back and it certainly outdid the Malfoys. Her eyes were large and her eyelashes thick, Hermione was sure she had a figure any model would kill to have.

Jasper, despite not being asked to, had taken it upon himself to ensure Hermione’s emotional well-being whenever she was nearby, wishing to dull some of the stronger, most painful feelings within her in hopes of lessening her burden of carrying them. From the moment they’d heard her footsteps, her emotions had been spiking, moving from nervousness to wonder to sadness to pain and he felt the emotions threatening to overwhelm him; had ever met such a person that felt as strongly as Hermione did? He didn’t think so. He gave a slight gasp, he thought it only being loudly enough for his family to hear but Hermione seemed to have heard also and she turned her eyes to him, giving him a look of concern. 

“Are you alright, Jasper?”

The sadness she felt seemed to suddenly dull and he took the chance to flood her with the feeling of calmness, using as much as he dared to without any reason for her to be suspicious. Unfortunately, he might have overdone it as Hermione’s brow pulled into a frown and she glanced at him strangely, suspiciously. 

“Yes, I am, thank you,” he replied.

“Let’s introduce you to the family,” Alice interrupted impatiently, eyeing the bags Hermione held in her hands excitedly. “Hermione, this is Carlisle and Esme, our parents.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen,” Hermione greeted politely and she placed the bags on the floor and held her hand out towards Carlisle, which he took with a smile. Esme on the other hand, pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek, definitely something Mrs. Weasley would’ve done.

“Please, Hermione, call us Carlisle and Esme,” the older woman smiled and Hermione’s smile in response was natural.

“And this is our older brother, Emmet,” Edward introduced.

“It’s ’bout time they brought you ‘round to meet us,” Emmet stepped forward and more than surprised her when he pulled her into a hug, lifted her off her feet and spun her in circles.

“Err...Emmet, please put me down, I’m afraid of heights,” she spoke and they laughed at her words.

“Sorry,” he apologised, placing her back on the ground and stepping back from her, but when she looked, he didn’t appear to be the least bit apologetic.

“And this is our sister, Rosalie,” Alice beamed, happily looping her arm through Hermione’s.

“Alice has told me a lot about you,” Hermione said kindly.

“Likewise,” Rosalie replied, her tone clipped and expression neutral.

Hermione got the feeling that Rosalie didn’t like her but she saw the way everyone rolled their eyes and surmised that is was likely normal behaviour for blonde bombshell.

“What’s in those bags, Dear?” Esme asked kindly.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she muttered to herself, reaching down to retrieve the first bag from the ground. “In my family, it is customary to bring a gift to the hosts, it’s considered rude not to,” she responded. 

It was a Pureblood custom that Hermione didn’t actually disagree with. She’d always been a civilised and respectful person, learning this tradition from Sirius was a pleasant surprise for her after everything she knew about the usual traditions.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Carlisle spoke, blinking slowly in surprise and his gaze darting to Edward and then back to her.

“My father may not have held the same beliefs as his parents, but he was still raised as an aristocrat,” she said, her words earning raised eyebrows and piqued curiosities. “It is meant to demonstrate that we hold respect for those that are gracious enough to allow us into their homes.”

She wasn’t blind to the way everyone in the room looked to Edward in surprise whilst he was sporting a pleased, almost arrogant expression. 

“But don’t worry, it’s not food, alcohol or flowers, I don’t know about you but I find they are right awful on the sense of smell,” she said, biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing when their eyes all but bulged out of the heads.

 _‘She knows?’_ Six voices entered Edward’s head at once.

“No, we haven’t told her anything. It’s just a coincidence,” he muttered so fast even with Hermione’s new and improved hearing she couldn’t keep up or understand what had been said.

“Besides,” Hermione pulled their attention, “Items such as those are rather impersonal. I prefer to give something that will leave a lasting impression and show that I took the time to put some thought into the gift-giving.” They stared silently and Alice beamed in response. “Shall we do ladies first?”

“Yes,” Alice squealed and Hermione laughed lightly, the sound gently on their ears.

“Very well, Mrs. Cullen...”

“Esme,” she interrupted with a smile.

“Esme,” Hermione corrected and Esme beamed in response. “Alice mentioned that you had taken a liking to lightweight jackets, so I found this for you.”

Hermione removed a large white rectangular box from the bag and handed it to Esme. She took it almost gingerly and moved to perch on one of the couches, slowly removing the bow and wrapping paper and when she removed the lid from the box, a slight gasp fell from her lips.

“Oh, Dear, it’s beautiful.”

She removed the garment from the box and held it up for everyone to see. Hermione saw the surprised look that crossed Rosalie’s face, in fact, she looked impressed and Alice positively beamed as she rocked on the balls of her feet excitedly.

Esme held up a casual white cotton, long-sleeved jacket-blazer with black lapel necked collars and a thick black stripe with silver zippers to fasten the pockets.

“I wasn’t sure which colour you would prefer, so I included a similar pale pink jacket with white collars,” Hermione said. 

“Thank you, it was very thoughtful of you,” Esme spoke softly.

“Me next,” Alice interrupted, bouncing impatiently. Hermione gave the little vampire an amused smile before she reached into the bag and pulled out a second rectangular box.

Hermione was surprised she didn’t use her vampire speed when she saw how fast Alice was removing the wrapping paper and she practically threw the box lid across the room, earning snorts and knowing looks from her fellow vampires.

Alice gasped loudly from her place sat on the second couch in the room, a wide smile settling on her face. “I love it!” Alice shrieked, holding up the garment for all to see.

It was a pale blue floral patterned dress made from chiffon; it had a rounded and modest neckline, sleeveless it to the shoulders and had an asymmetrical silhouette. In the front, it fell to mid-thigh but at the back it was longer, just trailing across the floor. Hermione, having seen how much Alice loved her accessories, had been sure to include a matching necklace and bangles.

“They’ll suit your skin tone perfectly, and bring out your eyes, too,” Hermione spoke and Alice beamed and bounced in her seat. “That just leaves, Rosalie.” Hermione removed the final box from the first bag, it being slightly bigger than the others and she held it out to Rosalie in offering. 

The blonde accepted the gift slowly, being curious as to what it held after witnessing the gifts to the others. She moved to sit beside Esme and she slowly removed the bow, the wrapping paper and the box lid, oblivious of Hermione’s growing nerves, being worried that she’d hate her gift and might take offence to it. Judging by the small smile that pulled at Rosalie’s mouth, Hermione presumed she liked it and she released a slow breath in relief. 

“They’re not hideous,” she commented.

“That means she loves them,” Alice promised with a grin.

For Rosalie, Hermione had settled on a pair of black thick heeled suede ankle boots, a pair of grey skinny jeans and a white knee-length woollen cardigan.

“I’ve never seen these on the market,” Alice commented, gesturing to all the items of clothing.

“I brought them with me from England, I believe they’ll soon be sending stock over here. I have far too much clothing, more than I could ever wear in ten lifetimes. When I wouldn’t go shopping my father hired a personal shopper and gave her a budget of more money than was needed. She went a little overboard,” she responded with annoyance edging her tone and they chuckled at her. “That just leaves the men,” she said, reaching for the other bag.

“Mr. Cullen...”

“Carlisle,” he corrected with a smile.

“Carlisle,” she nodded, and she handed him a small square box and he took it from her, moving to sit on the other side of his wife.

He stared in surprise at the contents of the box.

“Where did you get this? I’ve spent years trying to track it down,” he looked at Hermione in wonder and it had everyone but Edward intrigued and he, too, stared at Hermione, speechless.

“It’s been in my father’s family for generations. One of his ancestors had a sordid affair with Shakespeare himself.” They stared open-mouthed and she was unable to hide her amusement at their reaction. “It’s been in the Black family since, that’s why you couldn’t find it. It was just sat on the bookshelf gathering dust. Neither myself nor my fathers are fond of _King Lear_. I thought it best it go to someone who would appreciate it.”

“I can’t accept it, as gracious as a gift, I can’t; it’s far too expensive.”

“My father was going to burn it,” Hermione shrugged her shoulders indifferently and his eyes all but bulged out of his head as he made a choking sound of horror.

“But it’s valued to be just over a million dollars,” he said quietly, struggling to process her words.

“Try telling that to my father, I think he just wanted to do it out of spite. It was his mother’s favourite play and she and he didn’t get along. She was incredibly cruel and favoured corporal punishment. By the age of sixteen, he’d been disowned, but when his mother died, he gained his title of Head of the House of Black, his father and younger brother having died before her.”

“Just _how_ rich are you? House of Black?” Emmet questioned.

She sighed and blew a curl out of her face. “My father is Sirius Orion Black.” Everyone but Carlisle held a confused expression on their faces, glancing to one another and silently asking if someone knew who he was. “I take it you know my father?”

“Not necessarily but I’ve heard the name more than once in passing.”

“Does someone want to explain what’s happening?” Jasper asked bemused.

“The House of Black is an ancient and noble family and the second wealthiest family in Europe,” Carlisle explained. They gaped at him, their eyes darting between him and Hermione who shifted on her feet nervously. “They’re lineage can be traced back to over six hundred years ago.”

“They can trace it back further, about a thousand years,” she corrected. “But to be honest nobody could be bothered going that far back, it’s likely to be older than what’s on record. My father doesn’t care for the money or the title; he hates that he has been left the responsibility of Lord Black, but there is little he can do.”

“You are Lady Black?” Esme questioned softly.

Hermione nodded slowly and nibbled at her lop. “Yes, legally I am Lady Black, but I don’t care for the title either.”

“Why was your father disowned?”

“Walburga and Orion Black held beliefs that were engraved in them since birth. They believed that those who weren’t born of noble blood were vermin and barbarians. Sirius, however, rebelled to the point he was cruelly punished and in the end, he’d had enough, and his best friend, James Potter, parents took Sirius in and raised him from the age of sixteen.”

“The Potters?”

“You know them, too?” Hermione asked Carlisle.

“I know _of_ them; the House of Potter is the third wealthiest family in Europe.”

Edward frowned slightly, the name being familiar to him. 

“Potter? Wasn’t your friend called Harry Potter?”

At the mention of his name, sadness and despair welled up within her and they all watched as Jasper moved to sit beside Alice on the couch, a grimace held on his face and his hand resting against his stomach.

“Yes, he was. He was Sirius’ Godson and as I’ve told you before, he was my best friend, my little brother really. He was the only remaining member of the House of Potter. He died in May and he left everything to me,” she confessed.

They gaped at her, Emmet even spluttering at the news, of which, Hermione wasn’t even certain why she was willingly telling them such highly personal information, but it was as if she couldn’t stop now that she’d started. Maybe it was their vampire beauty dazzling her brain, one vampire she could handle but she was currently stood before seven of them, too much for any one person to have to deal with. But she couldn’t help shake the feeling she was missing something, that she could trust them with her life and her secrets and her instincts had yet to fail her. 

“You wanted to know how rich I am? I’ve inherited the full wealth of the House of Potter and I set to inherit the Black wealth also, technically that makes me the wealthiest woman in Europe.”

“How do people not know this about you?” Emmet asked amazed.

“We keep to ourselves and we stay out of the press. There isn’t a single photograph of myself or my father that you may find online and he’s made sure of that. It’s as if we don’t exist and that’s the way we like it. He wants me to have a life without having to worry about the press and paparazzi, without having to worry that people wish to use me for my wealth and power. Black is a fairly common surname and so when people hear our names or see it printed on our bank cards, they don’t realise that we are _the_ Blacks. You won’t tell anyone about this, will you?”

“Of course not, Dear,” Esme assured her with a smile. She searched the others and they nodded in assurance, even Rosalie.

“Thank you,” she breathed out. “Carlisle, please accept the gift, if I return home with it my father will destroy it and it would be such as tragedy,” she pleaded and he reluctantly agreed, not wishing for such an item, a piece of history, to be destroyed.

She then moved onto Jasper and handed him the box. When he opened it he stared at the contents silently, at a loss for words.

“What is it?” Alice asked nosily, peering into the box.

“Handwritten battle plans by Napoleon,” he whispered.

“My father also wanted to destroy these, they were his father’s favourite and I know of your love for history and thought they would be much safer with you,” Hermione explained. He nodded slowly, his eyes remained on the contents and staring adoringly.

“What’s the story?” Alice asked.

“A Black ancestor travelled to France to offer his strategic mind up to the French. Napoleon immediately took a shine to Black and they formed a friendship. Napoleon thanked Black for his assistance and gave him the battle plans to bring back to England for safekeeping,” she shrugged her shoulders before removing another box from her bag.

“Edward,” she said and he perked up as she handed him a box and he opened it slowly. He wanted to know what she’d gotten him, oh how he wished he could read her mind.

Once the lid had been removed, he stared in surprise. “Handwritten notes by Beethoven himself,” he muttered. 

“Surprisingly, my father was going to destroy these as well,” she said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. “Beethoven was his brother’s favourite composer and having these reminded him of his failure to protect him from their parents, he couldn’t deal with the reminder that his brother died at such a young age. I thought you could possibly use them as inspiration. You told me you were composing some new material, I thought they’d be helpful.”

“They will be; thank you.”

“What’s the story behind the ownership?” Carlisle asked curiously.

“I believe that a Black ancestor once visited Beethoven, he wished to have him compose something for his wife but Beethoven refused and so Black bought these notes off him to help him with his own composing,” she shrugged her shoulders. “But that now just leaves Emmet, and don’t worry; it’s nothing that can be burnt in the fireplace.”

They shared amused looks at his excited expression, his eyes trained on the final box she removed from the bag. He tore the wrapping paper free, lifted the lid and a yell of glee fell from him, it being so loud, it startled her. 

“What is it?” Jasper asked amused and Emmet removed the steering wheel from the box, proudly displaying it for everyone to see.

“It’s one of the parts I need to finish restoring my Spitfire,” he grinned excitedly.

With all the gifts now being given out, they spent the remainder of their time together speaking with and getting to know Hermione a little better. They’d already spoken to Edward beforehand and knew which topics to avoid and which topics were safe; it seemed her fathers and school were safe and her past was not.

Everyone seemed to adore Hermione and it was evident that Rosalie was slowly coming around, Hermione having caught the blond eyeing the box with her new shoes in once or twice.

“Oh, is that the time?” Hermione questioned in surprise, not realising how much time had actually passed as the clock was showing that it was nearing nine o’clock. “I better get home to my fathers.”

“Do you need a ride home?” Edward asked her.

Hermione shook her head. “No, thank you. I’ve got it covered.”

She stood from the couch, said her goodbyes and then left out the door, making sure she was in the cover trees before she turned on her heel and vanished. Upon hearing the sharp ‘crack’, the Cullen family raced down to the dirt road, all but three of them being surprised when they found it empty and with no sign of Hermione anywhere. 

“She’s vanished, _again_ , how?” Jasper muttered annoyed.

“I don’t know,” Edward replied with a scowl of irritation. Why did everyone always ask him questions he didn’t have answers to?

He was the first to reach the house and the others followed after him, gathering in the living room.

“She’s a lovely girl, Edward,” Esme smiled and she hugged him gently, a proud, pleased smiled crossing his face.

“Yes, she’s a right sight better than Bella,” Rosalie agreed with a nod. They all stared at her as if she had two heads. “What?”

“You’re just saying that because she bought you shoes,” Jasper said with a smirk.

“Yes, well, they are _gorgeous_ shoes,” she sniffed and they snorted at her. “She has good taste. And she isn’t clumsy, either; she has good posture and speaks clearly.”

“You were right about her smell,” Emmet mused. “She does smell pleasing but I didn’t have the urge to kill her.”

“I told you so,” Jasper responded.

“She seems wise beyond her years,” Carlisle commented thoughtfully. “There’s a sadness in her, it’s almost like it’s been there for years.”

“It’s all I feel when I’m around her, most of the time it’s subtle but I know it’s there. When it is triggered, it’s as though Emmet is repeatedly punching me in the stomach by Emmet, I’ve never felt anything like it,” Jasper muttered and they frowned.

“She has fantastic etiquette,” Alice chimed in. “She’s incredibly intelligent, too.”

“And she’s unbelievably kind, the thought she put into those gifts,” Esme shook her head lightly with a smile.

“I like her,” Rosalie decided, giving a single nod of her head. They stared at her, unable to form a sentence. Rosalie didn’t like anyone.

“I can’t believe she’s a _Lady_ and the richest woman in Europe, I thought we had some cash but she takes the biscuit,” Emmet said and they snorted at him. A mischievous grin lit his face and he turned to Edward. “Hey, Eddie, you’ve got yourself a Sugar Momma.”

Edward lunged for Emmet.

“Boys, not in the house,” Esme scolded.

There were two blurs, the door opened and then closed and there was a sudden loud crack in the woods behind the house.

“There goes another tree,” Alice sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Monday 16th October 2006**

"So, how did it go?" Sirius asked as she entered the tent and took a seat on the couch beside him.

"I made a joke; you should've seen the look on their faces, priceless," she grinned.

"Explain," he demanded.

"What are we explaining?" Remus questioned as he entered the room, moving to sit on the opposite couch.

"Snowflake made a joke and received a great reaction."

"Explain," he echoed Sirius' previous words.

"Such Marauders," Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement. "I may have mentioned that gifts such as food, alcohol and flowers tend to wreak havoc on the sense of smell. For a moment I worried their eyes were going to fall out of their heads and I could've sworn Jasper choked on the oxygen he doesn't even need," she explained and they laughed at her.

"Very well done, just nonchalantly slipping in jokes about being a vampire," Sirius nodded in pride.

"Did you learn anything new?" Remus asked.

"They don't know who we are but our titles came up in conversation and Carlisle was the only one to have heard of us is passing. They promised to keep our wealth and titles a secret."

"Well, it's a comfort to know they aren't working for someone," Sirius shrugged. "Anything else?"

"Well, you know how some vampires have been known to have extraordinary gifts?" She questioned and they nodded, sharing a glance. "I think at least two of the Cullens have a gift," she said with a thoughtful frown.

"What makes you say that?" Sirius questioned, sitting straight at the news and giving her his full attention.

She nibbled at her lip thoughtfully. "I think Edward may be able to read or hear others' thoughts. When I told you about my first day at school, about someone trying to break through my shields, _he_ was the one I caught staring at me. Whenever he's nearby, I often feel nudges against my barriers, I'm positive he's trying to break them down or find a way around them. He always has this puzzled expression on his face when I reinforce my shields, as if he knows what I've done, and he'd only know that if he were trying to enter my mind."

At her words, pensive expressions graced their faces and they looked to another and then to her.

"So, Edward may have the ability to hear thoughts," Remus concluded and Hermione nodded. "Who's the other one, you said there were two?" Remus said.

"I think it might be Jasper."

"And his potential ability?"

"It's hard to explain," she sighed, reaching up to push her hair back from her face. "He acts strangely, different, but it only seems to be when I find myself emotionally struggling or stressed. When I'm reminded of something from home and I can't help but feel despair and pain," she said quietly and they gave her soft, understanding looks. "It overwhelms me, I can't focus or breathe, and it's then that Jasper may falter in his steps, or grimace in pain, or look at me strangely. When I found myself mentally comparing the Cullens to the Weasleys, he caught my attention by his behaviour, his facial expression, it almost seemed as though he were in pain, as if he were _affected_ by my pain. I'm not entirely sure what happened but all I remember is suddenly feeling weightless and calm, more relaxed than I have in a long time. And it's not the first time this has happened to me."

"What're you suggesting?" Sirius spoke confused.

"I think that Jasper may be an empath, that he can sense, feel and manipulate emotions."

"You can't control a person's emotions."

"I said _manipulate_ , not control."

"Well, it's definitely something to keep in mind," Remus nodded.

"He told me his name before the Cullens took him in. Jasper Whitlock," she shared and they both frowned thoughtfully.

"I'm sure I've heard that name before," Sirius mused, seeing Remus' nod of agreement.

"So have I; I just for the life of me can't remember where."

~000~000~000~

Sunday 22nd October 2006

Hermione had just returned from La Push; she'd been invited to attend a bonfire by the boys and after remembering Paul telling her of the legendary bonfires, she'd wanted nothing more than to attend one and learn of the legends of the Quileute Tribe.

Hermione had been introduced to Leah Clearwater, Seth's older sister, Collin and Brady –who'd taken an immediate shine to her- and the Elders of the Tribe, Jacob's father, Billy Black. For reasons unknown to her, Jacob seemed particularly anxious that Hermione meet his father and when Billy seemed to give his approval of Hermione, Jacob had sported a beaming grin for the rest of the night.

She'd noticed a few changes in the brooding teenage boy. Since the day she'd met him, he was now always present whenever she found herself in La Push visiting the group of boys. He never left her alone and he was always doing his best to engage her in conversation. That might not have tipped her off to anything strange except for the fact he was always watching her movements. When she gave him attention, he was like a reptile in the sun, basking in it happily. He was positively gleeful whenever she was around, and it wasn't that surprising that when they sat around the bonfire she found herself seated in-between Paul and Jacob. She'd noticed a slight tension between the two of them, she would've had to be blind to miss it and if she were honest, that tension unsettled her.

She'd soon been drawn in by Billy Black as he spoke of the legends of the Cold Ones and the spirit warriors that could shift at will into giant wolves. Hermione had left the Reserve certain of one thing. The Quileute Tribe _knew_ that vampires existed, and given their reaction to the Cullens, the boys knew exactly who and _what_ they were.

But the bonfire had done more for her than she'd thought it would. After listening attentively to Billy Black's words and her mind fitting together the pieces of information he'd unknowingly given her... She now believed the boys were all shape-shifters.

When she entered the tent, it was to see her fathers sitting on the couch beside one another, Remus reading and Sirius nursing a tumbler of fire whiskey and she crossed to the couch opposite them.

"How was it, Snowflake?" Sirius asked her.

"Enlightening,"

"Do share," Remus encouraged after noticing her gleeful mood.

"The Tribe have legends about Cold Ones, which I'm certain is a reference to vampires," she started and their eyes widened a fraction, Remus putting down his book and Sirius his tumbler –something she thought she'd never see from the elder Black. "From what I learned, the Tribe encountered them generations ago and a defence was brought forward. The Tribe has this legend surrounding spirit warriors, men that could change into wolves at will."

"Animagi?" They both questioned in surprise.

"No, I think they're shape-shifters. Do you remember all of the strange things we've noticed about the boys? The hot body temperature, the physical appearance at such a young age, the familiar scent? And Paul cut himself the other day at the beach; it was healed not ten minutes later."

"You think they're shape-shifters?" Remus said, catching onto her train of thought.

"I do," she nodded. "As a werewolf, you have a higher than normal body temperature, accelerated healing and you smell similar to a canine. And that's what they remind me of. You. We know all legends are born from truth and we know that vampires are real, so why can't they be shape-shifters? They seem to truly hate the Cullens and due to their past, it's understandable."

"It's a valid point, more than one, in fact," Sirius said to Remus.

"I haven't told you this as I didn't think it was relevant, but I've heard some of the students at school saying there were large wolves in the woods."

"If they _are_ shape-shifters, do they pose a threat to us?" Remus questioned. As the Alpha of their pack, he had to make decisions regarding the pack's safety and for that, he needed detailed information.

"Honestly? No, I don't think they do. The legends say the wolves only exist to protect the Tribe from vampires. I think this is a recent thing, maybe a year at most. I've been doing my research and the first sighting of the wolves weren't that long ago, it hasn't yet been a year and the Cullens returned to Forks less than two years ago. If I had to guess, I would say the reappearance of the Cullens is what triggered the gene in the shape-shifters. They won't hurt human beings, only vampires."

"We need to keep an eye on them and until we are certain they either are or aren't shape-shifters, you need to be cautious. And until we are certain they pose no threat, we all need to be careful," Remus said and they nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing with him, especially since he was the Alpha and what he was suggesting was quite reasonable and understandable.

"But it _does_ make sense and I think Hermione's right. They _do_ smell similar to you, probably closer to me actually," Sirius said thoughtfully but Hermione could see the excitement gleaming in his dark orbs and she rolled her eyes. "Who do you suspect?"He questioned curiously.

"Paul, Seth, Jared, Quil, Embry, Jacob, Sam and Leah," she named. "Leah's the only female and the older sister of Seth and I hadn't met her before tonight. The only people present were myself, those I just named, Collin and Brady, two thirteen-year-olds, and three members of the Tribal Council, Jacob's father is one of them. I suspect that Sam's the Alpha; he's the oldest and he radiates authority and I've seen the way the boys defer to him before doing anything questionable. But according to the legend, Ephraim Black was the Alpha of the original pack, I assume that means that Jacob is supposed to inherit the title, but I guess he refused to step up once he changed," she shrugged her shoulders. "I can't wait to find out if I'm right," she grinned and they chuckled at her

~000~000~000~

Wednesday 1st November 2006

Jacob was annoyed; a scent had been found once again but they were unable to trace it back to an individual or follow it. The entire pack had been on patrol that night and they stumbled across the redheaded female vampire running through the woods. The pack had been quick on her heels, chasing after her, snarling and growling viciously but she'd evaded them, but not before they'd realised where she'd been heading. Bella's house.

Despite Jacob no longer being in love with Bella, despite Hermione now being his imprint, his everything, Bella was still his friend and he still cared for her. He'd tried to contact her: phone calls, texts, letters, emails, he'd even travelled to her house but she hadn't bothered to open the door or acknowledge his presence, and now, he had to visit Forks High as the last resort.

He was expected to talk to the leech in hopes that he could get through to her, and as much as he hated having to be the one to do so, on the plus side, Hermione attended Forks High and there was a chance he would see her and her beautiful features and pretty smile would brighten his rather shitty day. He drove to Forks High School and parked in an empty spot in the parking lot and he didn't have to wait long until the students started roaming the parking lot, chatting with friends and getting into their cars to leave for the day.

He received more than his fair share of looks from the girls, most of them openly staring at him but there was only one girl he wanted the approval of. He wore his customary jean shorts cut off at the knees, black running shoes and a fitted black t-shirt that did nothing to hide his recent muscle gain, it being the reason behind the stares, but he'd ignored them in favour of focusing his hearing, hoping to find one voice in particular.

"What're _you_ doing here, mutt!"

Jacob lifted his eyes from the ground to see Edward Cullen approaching him and he felt his mouth pull into an automatic smirk. He loved to ruffle the blood-sucker's fangs.

"Lovely day for a spot of killing _vampires_ , wouldn't you agree?" He replied with a flippant tone that even surprised himself.

"I'd rather kill a flea-bag," Edward snarled in response.

"No need to get testy. I'm here to give you a warning, we caught the scent of a vampire," he replied and he wasn't blind to the way the vampire's form stiffened. "Redheaded girl, she managed to escape but we suspect she was heading to Bella's house. She won't talk to me and she needs to be warned." A look of recognition crossed his face and Jacob realised that he knew who he was talking about. "You know her?"

"Victoria, we killed her mate James last year and she wants revenge. I guess she doesn't know Bella and I broke up. She's not speaking to me either but I'll see what I can do."

Jacob had the feeling that the parasite was shifting through his thoughts and he hated it, especially since there was nothing he could do to stop it. Suddenly, his ears perked up when he heard the voice of his imprint.

"Jacob, what are you doing here?" She questioned in surprise, offering him a soft smile in greeting and he grinned back.

"School got out early and I thought I'd pick you up and bring you straight to First Beach, the others are waiting for us," he explained.

Jacob's head snapped up when he heard a low snarling that with his advanced hearing he was able to hear but unknown to either of them, Hermione's hearing was able to pick up on it, too. Jacob immediately positioned himself in front of Hermione in a protective manoeuvre and he tensed his body tightly, preparing to defend the both of them whilst also trying to keep his wolf at bay. He glared murderously at Edward and a low growl ripped from the back of his throat.

"Boys," Hermione cleared her throat. "People are staring," Hermione whisper-hissed. She stepped out from behind Jacob and moved to stand in-between the two to act as a barrier. He reached out to gently pull her back behind him but she stepped further back so he couldn't reach.

"Jacob, why don't you wait for me in the car and I'll be with you in a second, I just have to have a quick chat with Edward," her soft, comforting voice calmed him and he was going to protest, not wishing to leave her alone with him. " _Please_ , Jacob, I'll only be a moment."

Although it went against every fibre of his being and his instincts, he reluctantly retreated to his car, straining his hearing so he may listen in on their conversation.

~000~000~000~

Edward was by far from pleased to see the mutt in the parking lot of his school and he crossed over to him, wishing to get rid of him as quickly as possible. He was usually a lot more laid back when it came to the other wolves but for some reason, Black irritated him more than the others but if he were being honest, it was likely something to do with his friendship/being in love with his ex-girlfriend whilst they'd still been together.

"What are _you_ doing here, mutt?" He questioned, barely containing his sneer as they were surrounded by others and he didn't wish to make a scene.

"Lovely day for a spot of killing _vampires_ , wouldn't you agree?" The mutt replied.

"I'd rather kill a flea-bag," he snarled.

"No need to get testy," he smirked. "I'm here to give you a warning, we caught the scent of a vampire."

Edward stiffened at the news. _'Why hadn't Alice seen something?'_

"Redheaded girl,"

With those two words, Edward knew exactly who he was referring to. _'Victoria,'_ he thought panicked. Had she learned of Hermione and her importance to him? No, she couldn't have; it wasn't possible!

"She managed to escape but we suspect she was heading to Bella's house. She won't talk to me and she needs to be warned."

Edward was able to calm his nerves; she wasn't after Hermione but Bella and that could be bothersome.

"You know her?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Victoria, we killed her mate James last year and she wants revenge. I guess she doesn't know Bella and I broke up. She's not speaking to me either but I'll see what I can do," he explained, silently sifting through Jacob's thoughts in search of any information that he may be holding back and would be of use of to him.

"Jacob, what are you doing here?" Hermione's surprised but friendly voice flittering to his ears.

Edward turned his eyes from Black and to her as she approached them, a soft smile held on her face and directed not at him, but the mutt and he grinned back in response.

 _'She knew him?'_ He thought surprised.

"School got out early and I thought I'd pick you up and bring you straight to First Beach, the others are waiting for us."

At that moment, Black's thoughts suddenly shifted and he found himself being pulled in, watching as the thoughts swirled his mind rapidly. Thoughts of Hermione as his girlfriend, his fiancé', his wife, heavily pregnant, the mother of his children. Holding her hand, kissing her, holding her, sleeping beside her. His every thought revolved around Hermione. Her voice, her laugh, her touch, her scent, her smile. She was his life. He loved her with everything he had. He would die for her. He would kill for her. He would be anything she needed. He would die without her.

Edward had heard similar thoughts in the past during his last visit to Forks decades prior when his family had signed the treaty with the Quileute Tribe. He knew what had happened. Jacob had imprinted on _his_ mate.

A low snarl tore its way out of his throat, only loud enough for Black to hear and he did. It enraged him even further when he moved to stand in front of his Hermione in a protective gesture. She was _his_ mate! He would never hurt her!

"Boys," Hermione cleared her throat, her eyes darting about uncomfortably. "People are staring!" She stepped out from behind Black and moved to stand in-between them; he was glad to see that she moved out of the mutt's reach when he reached out to her. "Jacob, why don't you wait for me in the car and I'll be with you in a second, I just have to have a quick chat with Edward. _Please_ , Jacob, I'll only be a moment."

Edward hated that he saw the effects she had on him. The way her voice calmed his anger and soothed the wolf long enough for him to agree with her words.

Black retreated to his car but not without pinning him with a threatening glare, as though he frightened him and Hermione turned to face him, surprising him with the annoyed expression she wore on her face.

"What was all that male posturing bullshit about?" She questioned.

He was even more surprised at her use of such language.

"You're friends with Black?"

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes.

"He's dangerous, he can't be trusted," he argued.

That was the wrong thing to say and he knew it immediately, he didn't have to read her mind. Her eyes darkened, her cheeks flushed, she pulled herself up to full height and he was certain he saw her hair sparking, but dismissed it, such a thing not being possible. Despite knowing he ought to tread carefully, he couldn't help notice how beautiful she was when angry. He'd never seen her display such an emotion, she gave small smiles and he was accustomed to the pain that flashed through her eyes, so this was a welcome change.

"That's funny; Jacob said the exact same thing about you. I don't give a damn what your problem is with him, and I don't care what his problem is with you, either. I will _not_ be stuck in the middle; I am Switzerland, neutral ground. I'm going to tell you the exact same thing I told him. I already have two fathers, I don't need another one, back off and stay out of it."

When Hermione turned and stormed to Black's car, he clenched his jaw and fisted his hands tightly as they pulled out of the parking spot and Black drove off, leaving him with an arrogant smirk. He watched until they disappeared from view before he stalked to his car where Jasper and Alice were already waiting for him, eyeing him carefully as his current mood was evident.

"What was that about?" Alice asked.

Edward ignored her, climbed into the car and almost drove off without them. Without a care for speeding laws, he pushed the Volvo to the very limit until the car skidded to a stop as he slammed on the breaks once they pulled up outside the garage. He climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut so hard, the windows shattered, the car shook and the door fell off its hinges.

Alice and Jasper shared a concerned glance, Jasper eyeing Edward as though he were a ticking time bomb, being able to feel the raw fury that fuelled him. When Edward stormed into the house and flung the door open, it smashed against the wall, the glass shattering and raining to the ground.

"Edward, what on earth has gotten into you?" Esme scolded, standing from her seat along with Emmet, Rosalie and Carlisle. The rage he was exhibiting unmistakably evident in his tense form and furious expression, something they'd never before seen from him.

Edward paced back and forth agitatedly and Alice and Jasper gave him a wide berth as they moved to stand beside the others, waiting for an explanation from the furious vampire.

"He can't have her, she's _mine_ ," he snarled suddenly.

"What?" Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"The mutt!" He snapped.

"Care to be specific?" She cocked her eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest.

"Black!"

"And _who_ can't Black have?"

"Hermione! He imprinted on her," he snarled.

"HE DID WHAT!?" Alice's voice rose, Emmet's boomed and Rosalie's muttered in chorus, whilst Jasper, Carlisle and Esme blinked slowly, processing the unexpected news.

"He imprinted. I heard it in his thoughts. When she called his name, his thoughts were of nothing but her. He _forgot_ I was there! And to make matters worse, I saw in his thoughts that he's not the only one attached to her; the flea-bag, Lahote, has a thing for her, too. He was _furious_ when he discovered Black imprinted on Hermione."

"You know as well as I, they cannot help it, they don't choose their mates, just as we don't choose ours," Carlisle said calmly, being the voice of reason.

"But it _is_ strange that Hermione appears to be the mate of both a shape-shifter _and_ a vampire. If Hermione isn't in his life in some aspect, he may suffer," Esme said softly, her voice filled with concern.

Esme didn't have a problem with the shape-shifters. They believed that her special ability was to feel unconditional compassion and love. She just wasn't capable of hate.

"That's why I couldn't see her," Alice sighed, pulling their attention and even Edward paused in his pacing. "My vision doesn't work around the wolves, Hermione was destined to be the mate of one which protected her and hid her from my sight," she explained and they each frowned slightly. "She'll have to choose, she'll have to choose between Edward and Jacob, I can't see any other option. I can't see the outcome but I'm hopeful; in the single vision I've had of her, we were all happy," Alice said quietly.

"Alright, now we've gotten that out of the way. Why was Black at school?" Jasper questioned.

"The wolves caught the scent of a vampire, Victoria, they cut her off but she escaped, they think she was heading to Bella's. The mutt's asked me to warn Bella because she's ignoring him."

"She won't listen," Alice said knowingly.

"Why didn't you see her coming here?" Emmet asked her.

"I _do_ have blind spots, Emmet, there are ways to remain invisible to me, you know?" Alice snapped irritably, looking rather like an angry little pixie. "I can't keep watch of everything, every hour of the day, it doesn't work that way!"

Emmet looked chastised and Jasper sent a much-needed wave of calm around the room, focusing on two individuals in particular.

"Sorry," Emmet muttered.

Alice sighed tiredly and crossed over to take a seat on the couch but the moment she sat down, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her body froze and she released a little gasp. Six pairs of golden eyes watched her in concern whilst Edward focused his ability solely on her, following along with the thoughts and images that flashed through her mind.

"When?" He asked the moment Alice's vision ended.

She gave her head a light shake and Jasper was beside her, his hand grasping hers and rubbing soft circles over her skin.

"Late Sunday night, early Monday morning," she answered.

Edward muttered a word beneath his breath they'd never heard him use before. "Victoria's coming," he explained to the others after seeing their not so patient expressions. "Bella won't listen so we'll have to think of a way to keep her safe, maybe get her out of town."

"She hasn't yet used those plane tickets we gifted her," Carlisle suggested.

"That'll work," Edward nodded. "I'll speak to Chief Swan; he should be able to convince her to leave for the weekend."

~000~000~000~

Monday 6th November 2006

Hermione was worried. All evening she'd had the feeling that something was going to happen. She would've put it down to paranoia if it wasn't for the fact her instincts were battle-honed; they'd kept her alive for seven dangerous, painful years and she wasn't stupid enough to suddenly ignore them, especially since there could still be danger around the corner despite the war having ended. Death Eater factions were still out there and she knew they were plotting and planning, wanting to avenge their Dark Lord and she was Undesirable Number One.

It was the early hours of Monday morning, the full moon had long since risen and Hermione had heard the howling call of her Alpha after he'd completed his transformation. With the knowledge that Remus was safe, she'd decided to focus all of her attention on progressing further in her transformation. She was nearly there and she knew it, she just needed to connect with her inner self, with her spirit and magic.

She was perched on a cushion outside by a lit fire-pit, her legs crossed and her hands pressed into the ground, trying to feel and connect with the surrounding elements. She could feel the wind tousling her hair and brushing against her, the fire bathing her skin in warmth; she could smell the wet dirt and wood and she could hear the sounds of the nocturnal wildlife and the wind disturbing the leaves on the ground. She took it all in with a serene smile; she loved nature.

She focused on what it would be like to run through the woods free, to be with her fathers on the full moon, to be able to see the world from a different perspective. What it would be like to be able to have fun with Padfoot and playfight, what it would be like to defend herself if the time called for it.

Her magic was buzzing, swarming through her body to reach every cell and nerve ending, her blood rushing through her and tinting her skin pink, goosebumps erupting over her skin. She could hear her own heartbeat increasing, feeling it thumping in her ribcage as though it were trying to break free.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know fur was sprouting, she felt her ears shifting onto her head, her hands transforming into paws. She felt her arms elongating and she strongly reminded herself to stay focused, to not lose control of her emotions. This was further than she'd ever gotten and she didn't want to mess up now that she was almost there.

She felt her feet changing into paws, her nose elongating and her teeth sharpening as she carefully ran her tongue over the sharp points. She felt the change in her torso; it wasn't painful or entirely uncomfortable, just strange.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the scents around her, hearing the noises surrounding her. She allowed her eyes to slowly open, her vision immediately clearing and being far better than she ever imagined; she saw colours and shades she hadn't even known existed, she saw owls perched high in trees, mice scurrying across the floor, spiders and insects crawling in the darkness.

She opened her mouth to release a gasp but that wasn't the sound she heard. It was a bark. Lowering her head, her eyes widened and her mouth parted and needing to see herself, on four legs she wobbled into the tent, heading straight to her bedroom and halting before the mirrored closet doors.

There, stood a _giant_ wolf, the approximate size of a car, certainly bigger than she thought possible and certainly bigger than Padfoot and Moony, she hoped that wouldn't cause any issues with the Alpha wolf. And her size was not the only surprising feature, she hadn't been expecting the colour of her fur, either, giving the dark colour of her hair. But her eyes remained the same, chocolate brown.

Hermione, remembering Sirius' words regarding the difficulty of transforming from animal to human, decided it was best that she learned to control the shift, lest she be stuck in that form forever.

Two and half hours later, Hermione had successfully transformed from animal to human several times and she was quite pleased with herself, knowing from Sirius that the more you transformed, the easier it became. It was all about practice and experience, just as most things were, and with this new development, she couldn't wait to show her fathers, knowing it would be difficult for them to refuse her joining them on the next full moon.

Being rather pleased with herself and having completed everything she'd set out to do, Hermione turned her attention to preparing for her fathers' return as the sun was soon expected to rise and Remus would be forced into his awful transformation once more.

As she ensured her beaded bag was stocked with all potentially required potions should Remus need healing upon her arrival and she retrieved a black robe to cover him with, the howl of a wolf pierced through the silence.

With Hermione having finished her transformation and she'd taken on the traits and instincts, she'd recognised that call as belonging to Moony, only this was different. It was a distress call and it had been _meant_ for her. Her mind filling with every negative and concerning scenario possible and her heartbeat picking up in a panic, she twisted on her heel with her wand in her hand, landing a quarter of a mile from the wards she'd erected to keep Sirius and Moony contained to a specific area.

Knowing it would be much quicker if she were to travel in her animal form, Hermione did her best to put her concerns aside and clear her mind, focusing on her transformation. She held her arms out and slowly leaned her body forward until her hands pressed against the cold, damp ground and they were replaced with paws, the rest of the transformation quickly following and barely taking seconds.

She paused a moment to ensure her balance and bearings and then she took off with a huge leap, running through the trees as she released a loud howl, calling to her Alpha. Just as she neared her destination, her heart dropped into her stomach.

~000~000~000~

Jacob and his packmates were darting and leaping through the woods, all of them focused on only one thing. The chase. The redhead had returned and they had every intention of catching her. She was dashing between the borders of La Push and Forks, making it difficult to get close enough to grab her but they weren't giving up. Jacob could see to the left of the borders, the Cullens running at full speed as they tried to catch her, too.

 _'Paul, stay on her. Seth, Leah, keep to the right. Embry, Jared stay with me. Jacob, Quil, try and get in front of her, cut her off,'_ Sam instructed.

Jacob pushed all thoughts of the leeches and Hermione away and focused on the parasite, leaping off to the right of the group and Quil leaping to the left. He pushed himself forward, forcing himself to move faster and inhaling large lungfuls of oxygen to help ease the burn in his chest, but despite the pain, he couldn't stop. He had a job to do.

He ran and he didn't stop. The light of the full moon broke through the canopy of the thick trees, helping to illuminate the dark woods. He could hear the sound of paws hitting against the ground, snapping twigs and crunching leaves and a tinkling, mocking laugh that came from the redheaded parasite. His annoyance grew.

As he prepared to take a leaping jump with the intentions of landing in front of her, she jumped over the border, putting her in the Cullen's territory but not trusting her to stay there, the wolves kept their pace.

Jacob watched as the redhead jumped over the boundary line before kicking off a tree and speeding off into the distance. One of the leeches had fallen for the trap and jumped after her, attempting to grab her mid-air. He missed, crossed over into La Push territory and collided with Paul, rolling across the ground. A fight broke out instantly and Jacob turned to help his packmate, but then there was a howl that echoed through the woods.

~000~000~000~

Thankfully, Chief Swan had been able to convince Bella to leave town for the weekend and Alice had made sure to keep her visions focused on the human, ensuring that she boarded the flight to visit her mother along with Jessica, and with her now being out of the way, they had to deal with Victoria.

They were running through the woods and being mindful to stay in Forks' territory, but with Victoria hopping between the boundary lines, it not only made it difficult to catch her, it was annoying, not only to them but the wolves, too.

When Victoria crossed to Forks' territory once again, they didn't relent in their chase and they followed her for almost two miles before she crossed over the boundary line. Catching her thoughts a little too late, he wasn't fast enough in warning Emmet of her intentions and he leapt after her. At the very last moment, she kicked off a tree and changed direction, speeding off into the distance. Emmet, unable to stop his fall, collided with one of the wolves and Victoria was forgotten as the wolf snarled and growled viciously and bucked Emmet off him.

As the fight broke out, Emmet was chased back into Forks and the wolves followed him as a pack, coming to the defence of their packmate. Edward knew a fight between the pack and his family was on the very edge of breaking out and he felt a sudden wave of calmness washing over him, turning his eyes to Jasper, the southern vampire had an intensely focused frown on his face as he tried to diffuse the situation. Whilst the wolves continued to snarl and growl threateningly, it was clear they had calmed somewhat and he and his family took defensive positions, but then a sudden loud howl echoed around them.

 _'You hear that?'_ Black questioned his packmates.

 _'Follow it,'_ the Alpha ordered and the wolves turned and ran along the borderline, heading towards the howl.

Quickly catching onto their thoughts of the howl being similar to the one they'd heard before and picking up that no one knew who was responsible, Edward followed after them at a run, his family confused but quick on his heels.

What happened next no one had expected.

Every wolf halted to a sudden stop when they collided with what seemed to be an invisible wall and their large frames stumbled to the ground. He and his family skidded to a stop in surprise and barely moments later, a second howl echoed, only this one was different and louder, closer, he realised.

Hearing approaching steps and the foliage snapping beneath a heavyweight, he wasn't the only one to twist towards the left and just as a huge, white wolf stepped out of the darkness and the cover of the trees.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 12

**Monday 6th November 2006**

As Hermione slowly, cautiously stepped out of the cover of the trees, her heart hammered against her ribcage and her eyes darted to every individual present, she was massively outnumbered should they decide she wasn't friendly and chose to attack her.

The slight shimmer of the barrier wall indicated that someone had tried to pass through the wards and the eight _giant_ wolves that stood before it indicated they were the ones responsible and they'd been unsuccessful in their attempts. Taking in their sizes, she assumed seven of them were male and they were all slightly bigger than her own form, and the final wolf was female and smaller than Hermione. And not far from them stood the Cullen family, all seven members present.

Hermione couldn't help feel annoyance that they happened to stumble upon her wards on this particular night and that they were all together, too. Why was that? And she couldn't help be frightened and concerned. She wasn't frightened of them, rather she was frightened in regards to her Alpha, but now she understood the reason behind the distress call. He'd sensed other wolves in his territory and had called for his pack to help defend it.

What she found most surprising was not their presence, or that they seemed to be tolerating each other for the moment, but that she could hear voices, whispers inside her head, whispers that certainly did not belong to her but she recognised the voices, each and every one of them. As her eyes scanned the eight wolves, she could now identify who was who and though she was delighted to have had her suspicions about her friends confirmed, now really wasn't the best time to have the big discussion.

~000~000~000~

The huge wolf was only slightly smaller than the males but certainly bigger than the female, and it had thick, fluffy snow-white fur that almost had a puppy-feel to it, and it certainly ensured it stuck out like a saw thumb in its surroundings, especially against the darker furred wolves and it shone in the moonlight. The wolf's large, chocolate brown eyes darted between the assembled wolves and vampires, expressions of annoyance, fright and concern being held in its orbs.

"Is it one of yours?" Edward dared to ask, unsure if they would actually respond.

 _'No, it's female, we've never seen her before,'_ Sam replied.

"They don't know who she is," Edward explained to his family members but he didn't take his eyes off the wolf. Something about her was _familiar_ to him.

From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of Black slowly inching his way towards the wolf.

 _'JACOB!'_ Sam snapped.

_'Sam, I know who it is, she's not going to hurt us,' he promised._

_'You don't know that,' the Alpha argued._

_'Look at her; doesn't she seem familiar to you?'_

_'No!'_ He snapped, the Alpha wolf releasing a low growl of warning that he shouldn't push him further.

 _'Paul?'_ Jacob asked, knowing that if anyone would understand it would be him. As much as he hated it, Paul had feelings for his imprint and he knew Paul would recognise the wolf if he just got a good look at her, if he could see what he did.

 _'She smells familiar,'_ Paul said thoughtfully and he slowly approached Jacob, halting beside him.

 _'And the eyes?'_ Jacob asked.

On cue, the pack of wolves seemed to narrow their own in concentration as they slowly took in every feature and detail of the large and admittedly beautiful wolf stood before them.

 _'Hermione!'_ Seth and Jared exclaimed in non-deliberate unison and at that moment, realisation slowly sunk in with the other wolves, Sam's eyes widening and his mouth parting as he stared at the white wolf incredulously.

Edward seemed to choke on his sound of surprise, pulling the attention of his family members.

"What is it, Edward?" Esme asked him in concern, her eyes briefly moving to him and then back to the white wolf that had yet to move away from the cluster of trees she'd stepped through.

"It's Hermione," Edward muttered. "She's the wolf."

Whilst his family did quite well with covering their surprise outwardly, inwardly was something else entirely and he knew, being able to hear their thoughts.

 _'It can't be. Only members of the Tribe are born with the gene. Her lineage is in a completely different continent,'_ Sam responded, his voice distracted.

 _'It is, look at her. I told you there was something different about_ her,' Paul thought smugly. _'I told you she could be trusted. She's one of us.'_

A warning growl ripped from the throat of the white wolf and they all paused mid-step, halting their approach towards her, and Sam growled back, his own vicious and threatening.

 _'Sam, she's probably scared,"_ Seth injected, trying to be the voice of reason _. 'Look at this from her point of view, she's outnumbered eight to one, she has no idea of our intentions.'_

At the young wolf's words, Sam's growls tapered off but he didn't let up with his defensive stance or his suspiciously narrowed eyes.

In a move that surprised them as much as it piqued their curiosity, the while wolf tilted her head back and looked up at the sky, where the moon could be seen beginning to fade, and unexpectedly, she released a loud howl. They hadn't expected for a second, louder howl to echo through the woods, nor were they expecting the third, weaker howl that sounded. But judging by the loudness of the howls, they knew the ones responsible weren't that far away, a mile, if that.

 _'She's not alone,'_ Sam stated the obvious.

A blood-curdling scream pierced the silence surrounding them, the vampires wincing against the noise and clamping their hands over their ears to dull the sound, and the wolves let out grunt-like noises, their eyes darting about in search and preparing to sprint to the aid of any that might need it. The white wolf's reaction was the most surprising; she didn't look the least bit surprised by the continued agonised screams, rather, she put her back to them, nudged at the invisible wall with her nose and then she tipped her head back, releasing a howl of sadness that trailed off into little whimpers.

After what seemed like a lifetime but was actually a few minutes, the screams finally died down and silence returned.

"Hermione? What was that?" Edward asked the wolf, ignoring the strange glances he received from his family.

The white wolf turned to face them, a look of concentration entered her eyes and moments later, the large wolf was gone and Hermione now stood in its place.

 _'Why does she still have her clothes?'_ Leah grumbled in the pack's thoughts, eyeing the white wolf turned human enviously due to her fully clothed form.

Her eyes searched each of their faces, a look of guilt, concern and sadness settling over her.

"This wasn't how I wanted to tell you all," she spoke softly, looking to the wolves and then to the vampires before releasing a tired sigh. "I can't do this now. I know you have questions but I don't have the time and my Alpha needs me. Vampires?" She looked to the Cullens, doing her best to control her facial expression at their clear surprise of her knowing who and what they were. "And shape-shifters? Oh, I can't speak to you like this, it's too weird. Jacob, Jared, Seth, Sam, Paul, Leah, Embry and Quil," she spoke, looking at each wolf in turn as she spoke their names, now knowing which was which after being able to pair their voices to the coloured fur when she'd heard their voices in her mind.

The wolves' mouths parted and their eyes widened at her correct addressing of each of them.

"Yes, I know it's you. Please change back, I know you won't want to do it in front of the vampires but I won't let them do anything. I'm not as defenceless as I look and I'm not your average human. If you happen to transform without your clothing, I ask that do it elsewhere. That is something I don't need to see as I'm about to see my Alpha more naked than any daughter should."

Tearing their surprised gazes from her, they wolves traipsed off into the cover of the trees, and Hermione twisted to face the wards, ignoring the stares of the vampires as she pulled her wand from her boot and made a start on tearing down the wards.

"How are you one of us?" Sam asked her suspiciously, his voice drawing her attention as he and the rest of his pack stepped out from the trees back in their human forms.

"I'm not. I'm technically a wolf but I'm not a shape-shifter like you."

"But...We just saw you," Embry spoke awed.

"It's a long story, but right now I need to concentrate and unless you'd like to be blown up, please don't distract me."

"What are you doing?" Emmet asked, being the first of the vampires to form a sentence after what they'd just witnessed.

"Taking down the wards," she kept her answer short.

"The what?"

She let out a little sigh of annoyance. "The wards, last night I placed invisible barriers around this area and they cover a five mile radius in every direction. They prevent anyone and thing from getting in, and my Alpha, from getting out. We need to keep him safe and contained and it'll stop him from accidentally hurting anyone. Now, please, stop asking me questions, what I'm doing is dangerous and I need to focus."

They thankfully remained silent but she was more than aware of their eyes watching her every move but with the current positioning, they were able to see her arm moving but not the wand she grasped in her hand. As soon as she felt the wards drop, a burst of magic brushing over her, she sprinted forward. Hearing footfalls behind her, she knew she was being followed but there was little she could about it, she was just glad the vampires stuck to human speeds.

It took her a little over five minutes of searching when she crossed paths with Sirius, him having been closer to the wards than he'd been the last time, and not bothering to look confused about her crowd of followers, Padfoot lifted his head from his paws and let out a pained whine.

"What happened, Papa?" She questioned, her voice a little breathier than usual but she by no means looked exhausted.

They were surprised when she spoke to the large black dog as if it were human, and even more so when the dog transformed into a human man, one who also remained fully clothed. A human that all but two of the pack and four of the Cullens recognised as her father.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, a concerned frown on his face. "Everything was as normal and I had no concerns but later into the night something changed. His behaviour became defensive, he did nothing but pace and then he howled and charged at the wards. You did a good job with them, they held strong and after realising he wasn't able to break through, he turned to self-harm. I did what I could to stop him," he explained tiredly and Hermione's eyes swept his form, seeing the cuts, scratches and scrapes that littered his face and arms.

"Blood," she heard a member of the pack mutter in concern.

"They won't hurt us; our blood doesn't appeal to them, just as yours doesn't," she spared them a brief glance.

"You don't know that," Jacob argued, looking to the Cullens as though he was going to attack at any given moment, he was just waiting for an excuse.

"Yes, I do. My first day of school I cut my hand open on a beaker in chemistry, Jasper rushed to my side, wrapped my hand up and took me to the nurse's office. His shirt was covered in my blood and he never once faltered or showed any sign of wishing to harm me," she spoke to the surprised group of wolves and a smug group of vampires, who looked more than amused that she'd defended them.

Deciding they'd had enough of her attention and needing to tend to Remus, her eyes swept her surroundings before landing on the unconscious, naked heap on the ground several feet away and she crossed to him, dropping to her knees beside him. She'd heard them following but knew they weren't going to leave or give her the space she wanted, so she settled for ignoring them instead.

Grasping her beaded bag in her hand, Hermione stuck her arm in until it disappeared right up to her shoulder and she searched for the robe, hearing but ignoring their gasps and mumbles.

"That's not possible. Where's her arm? How's she doing that?"

She knew they were dying for answers but she pinned them with a look that had them shutting their mouths and quietly watching as she tended to her father. After finding the robe, she removed it from the bag and covered Remus with it.

"I'll take a look at him," Carlisle spoke kindly and slowly heading towards her.

"No, there's nothing you can do for him," Sirius spoke tiredly.

"Lord Black, I..." The pack's attention snapped to both Sirius and Carlisle at those two words.

"I know how accomplished you are in the field of medicine, Dr. Cullen," Sirius said respectfully, "And Hermione has spoken fondly of you and your family, and she has done so with your pack, too," he said, turning to look at the shape-shifters and he noticed they perked up a little at his words. "But I assure you, there is nothing you can do for my partner. Hermione will have him healed in no time, far quicker than muggle medicine."

"Muggles?" Everyone echoed in confusion but they were ignored.

"He has cuts, abrasions and deep wounds covering his torso, I suspect he has a fractured right wrist but I can't be certain until I do the scans. I do know for certain that he's broken his left ankle and shattered his left arm and shoulder. The bones are going to have to be re-grown."

"Bones can't be re-grown," Carlisle spoke softly, not wanting to offend the obviously upset teenager.

"Dr. Cullen, please let my daughter tend to her father," Sirius spoke calmly.

"Papa, I'm worried; it's going to be painful, you should know from your time at Hogwarts. You told me you shattered your fibia and tibia during a Quidditch match, you know the process that Remus will have to go through. It could take anywhere from two hours to a week and with his current..."

"He'll be fine, Snowflake," he interrupted, needing to distract her from her thoughts to keep her focused. "I heard a howl."

A small smile pulled at her mouth. "I did it, Papa, I completed my transformation."

"You changed?" He questioned, his tone one of surprise and pride.

"Yes, you were right. I just stopped focusing on the reasoning of _why_ I wanted to change."

"I'm proud of you Snowflake. When Remus is patched up, we'll celebrate."

"I hope it won't take long," she sighed.

A pained groaned had all eyes lowering to the man on the floor as he slowly woke.

"Hermione?" The man groaned.

"I'm here, Alpha," she replied softly.

"It hurts," he muttered.

"I know, I'm going to give you something for the pain. A lot's happened and it the wolf resorted to self-harm as a coping mechanism, I'll explain it all later. We're going to have to do the majority of your treatment here, I don't want to risk moving you and worsening your injuries. Papa?" She called.

Sirius moved closer and kneeled down beside Remus, the wolves and vampires following him in order to better see what they were doing, but they remained on separate sides, their hate for each forgotten only for the time being, but it was still in their instincts to stay away from each other.

"Alpha, we're going to give you the regular treatment but I have to give you a Skele-Gro Potion, too. Before I do that I have to remove the shattered bones to prevent any small shards from entering your bloodstream," she informed him and he weakly nodded in understanding of her words.

Digging inside her beaded bag, she pulled her hand back with a variety of vials and jars in her grasp which she set on the ground.

"We'll use the Pain Potion last, we're going to need it. So, Calming Draught first." She handed the pink vial to Sirius, who poured it down Remus' throat. "Next, Essence of Dittany." She handed the dark blue potion to Sirius and he lifted the robe and poured some over the deeper wounds. "And now Murtlap Essence." She handed the clear jar to Sirius and he lathered the thick substance over the cuts and scrapes. "Now, this is the tricky part," she muttered to Sirius. "This won't hurt him but if I don't do it right, I may remove more bone than I intend to."

She moved over to Remus' left side, her back to everyone and with her wand, she pointed it at Remus' shattered bones in his arm and shoulder.

" _Ossio Dispersimus_ ," Hermione whispered.

No one saw her wand or what she was doing but they did hear the strange words she muttered. Slipping her wand back up her sleeve, Hermione returned to Remus' right side, facing everyone once more.

"It's done, this is going to be very painful, Alpha," she warned and he nodded weakly. "Hopefully the Pain Potion can counteract the effects, so, Skele-Gro next," she said to Sirius and he nodded, a grimace held on his face. "Can someone please assist me? I need him to be held down, Jacob, Paul?" She questioned and they both nodded slowly.

Sirius moved so that he kneeled on his haunches behind Remus and he lifted his head and placed it in his lap, whilst Paul approached and kneeled beside Hermione and Jacob kneeled on Remus' left side.

"Please be careful and try to keep him still; I don't need any more broken bones. Paul, be careful of his right wrist. Okay, everyone ready?" They nodded. "It's time, Papa," she said, handing him the potion.

"What's that?" Seth asked her.

She looked to the younger boy, seeing the concerned expression on his face. Hermione felt a kinship with Seth and she had since day one. He seemed to care about everyone and he didn't have a mean bone in his body. Kind of like the male version of Esme.

"It's Skele-Gro, it will re-grow the bones in his body but it'll be extremely painful. I've never experienced the process myself but I know a few that have. You might want to cover your ears," she warned and they all immediately took her warning. "Okay, one, two, three," she counted them down and Sirius poured the potion down Remus' throat, the werewolf gagging at the taste.

"I know it tastes awful but I've taken PolyJuice more than once and let me tell you, that's the foulest thing I've ever tasted and we've both eaten Sirius' cooking, you have to swallow it. The longer it sits in your mouth the less potent it is and the taste will worsen."

He seemed to take Hermione's words to heart and they saw him reluctantly swallow. For the first few moments, nothing happened and everything was silent, until it wasn't and Remus let out a blood-curdling scream as his body shook erratically. They could visibly see his veins pumping the blood around his body and they saw something moving beneath his skin.

"Pain Potion," Hermione spoke with tears filling her eyes and she handed the dark purple vial to Sirius and he quickly poured it down Remus' throat.

Moments later the screams tapered off but his body continued to shake.

"Sleeping Draught, I want to keep him knocked out for at least twelve hours," she said, handing the vial to Sirius and he poured it down Remus' throat until his body stilled and he relaxed against the hard, damp floor. "We'll be here when you wake, Alpha," she promised.

"Thank you, Cub," he rasped.

Hermione smiled at him and touched his check in a comforting gesture, Remus' eyes closing and his breathing evening out.

"Okay, he's asleep. Papa, I need to heal your injuries."

"I need to get Remus home," he said exhausted. Hermione knew the events of the night were finally catching up with him.

"If you don't let me heal you I'll tell Remus it was you that stole three of his chocolate bars from his secret stash?"

Despite the circumstances, his mouth twitched. "You've used that one already."

"I'll tell Remus that you're the reason he can't find his favourite jumper, the one you say makes him look like an out of shape breadstick."

"You're resorting to blackmail?"

"Papa, _please_ let me heal you," she begged.

"I need to get Remus home," he repeated.

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, but when we get home don't you dare fall asleep until after I've healed you. I need to make sure the wounds don't get infected and that they aren't deep enough to turn you. Remus will never forgive himself. Apparition will reduce the effects of the treatment so you'll have to port-key, I'll be right back."

She climbed to her feet before she walked away from the group that had no idea as to what was happening and she returned moments later with a small rock held in her grasp.

"It's done; it'll take you straight to your bedroom."

"Are you staying?"

"I'll be five minutes behind you."

He nodded, the port-key activated and he and Remus disappeared from sight, them all blinking in surprise before turning to her.

"Who are you?"

"How did they disappear?"

" _What_ are you?"

"How is this even possible?"*

"What happened to your father?"

"Muggles?"

"Apparition?"

"Port-key?"

She sighed, feeling a headache forming and she reached up to brush her hair back from her face.

"Okay everyone, listen up," she called over them and they quieted down. "I understand that I have a lot of explaining to do, but I can't do it now. You saw that my father required treatment and I have administered it to him. Now I have to return home and monitor his condition and my other father is yet to be treated because he's a stubborn idiot. So, yes, I know about the pack," she looked at them. "I've all but known since you invited me to the bonfire, although I suspected something long before. You smelled familiar, like my fathers. And there were too many factors to take into account and tonight I've just had my thoughts proved right." She then turned to the vampires. "I've known about you being vampires since the morning of my second day of school," she confessed and they stared at her disbelievingly. "Once again, there were too many differences between you and the other students, not to mention, you smell like sugar and bleach. I know you drink animal blood, I can tell by the colour of your eyes." She turned back to the pack. "I'm not a shape-shifter like you, I'm something else, but we are similar." She turned back to the vampires. "There's a reason you aren't attracted to my blood, as well as my fathers' and I'll explain everything but not now, I have to get to home."

"At school?" Jasper asked. He'd spent the majority of his time sending out waves of calmness to everyone, it being the reason why they weren't currently jumping down her throat or each other's for that matter.

"No, I won't be at school today. The school has a list in advance of all the days I won't be attending. It usually takes a day for my father to heal, but my father was severely injured so I will likely be absent for longer."

"Tonight?" Paul asked, unable to hide his excitement.

"No, my fathers will want to be present for such a conversation and they're in no fit state for that at the moment. I also need to sleep, as do you, you have school."

"Nope, school's closed for the week, ceiling collapsed and repairs are being done," Jared grinned.

"Tuesday?" Embry suggested.

A thoughtful crease pulled at her brow. "Hopefully my fathers should be well enough. We'll say Tuesday; I'll contact you if I have to cancel or rearrange the time or date. Meet me here on Tuesday at six o'clock. I'll make dinner; hopefully, you'll be a lot calmer with food in your stomachs. I don't want any fighting between you, I know you don't get along but I don't care. There are serious issues that need to be addressed and discussed. I don't care if Paul pees on Jasper's shoes or if Rosalie brings dog food and a water bowl," she said and Rosalie snorted. "I won't tolerate any fighting and you've no idea what I'm capable of, trust me, it's best not to anger me. Finally, don't tell anyone about what you witnessed tonight; it could get my fathers and me into a lot of trouble. Right, vampires go home. Wolves, get behind the La Push boundary line and get some sleep." They blinked slowly at her clear orders. "Go," she clapped her hands before making a shooing motion.

The pack turned and headed for the trees, shooting her glances over their shoulders and the vampires did the same, moving in the opposite direction.

~000~000~000~

Jacob had never been happier; his imprint was a wolf just like him! He didn't know half of the things she'd been discussing with her father, but he knew there was something very different about her and he couldn't wait to find out what it was. He couldn't wait to discover _how_ she became a wolf, too.

' _Well, that was enlightening,'_ Jared commented through the mind link as the wolves patrolled the area, making sure the redhead had definitely left before they returned to their homes for the night.

 _'I'd say, she's a fucking wolf, never saw that one coming,'_ Paul thought gleefully.

 _'She's not just a wolf; you saw that bag of hers. And her fathers disappeared into thin air in front of our eyes',_ Embry spoke.

 _'I'm not sure she can be trusted,'_ Sam injected.

 _'You weren't saying that the other day. You're only acting this way because you've discovered she's a wolf,'_ Quil thought.

 _'She should've told us,'_ Sam growled.

 _'Weren't you listening? She said tonight was her first transformation, but she knew it was going to happen. Remember, guys... The day we met her at the diner? They were talking about a transformation, that's what she meant,'_ Jared said.

_'She's not like us.'_

_'She told us that herself, besides, I've seen more than enough proof that there's something else going on. Her father wasn't a wolf, he was a large dog. I didn't even think that was possible,'_ Seth spoke.

 _'Leah? What do you think?'_ Jacob asked, curious to hear her answer.

_'I don't know, I've only met her once, her secrets are her secrets. You're complaining she never told you, but you never told her, either. Now, I'm going home, leave me alone.'_

_'Lovely chatting with you as always,'_ Paul said dryly and Leah growled before her connection to them disappeared.

 _'We'll get our answers on Tuesday,'_ Jacob commented.

 _'And dinner. God, I hope she can cook,'_ thought Embry.

~000~000~000~

Edward couldn't believe that his Hermione was a wolf. She wasn't a flea-bag -he could never think of her that way- but she was one of them, kind of. Wasn't she? He didn't know, it was all very confusing and he was still processing the reveal. How could she have kept that a secret, granted, he hadn't told her about his, but she had known since the second day of school?

He couldn't understand how she'd figured it out so quickly, it'd taken Bella a few weeks and him saving her life more than once. It had taken Hermione all of twenty-four hours and with minimal interaction.

"Anybody have any idea what the hell just happened?" Emmet asked as they walked into their home and he leapt onto the couch.

"Not a clue," Jasper replied, sitting down with a sigh. If vampires could feel tiredness, he would be exhausted. Trying to keep everyone calm was draining and he knew he'd have to go hunting before school.

"I can't believe she's one of them," Rosalie said but without her usual sneer when speaking about the mutts.

"I don't think she is," Carlisle mused and they all turned their eyes to him, giving him questioning looks. "I admit, there are some similarities between them, but the differences outweigh them. Her scent is different."

"I noticed that. The mutts smell like wet dog," Alice grimaced. "Hermione, however, still smells like Hermione, only that subtle scent from before is stronger. More like flowers and puppies."

"She was able to re-grow bones; that's impossible," Carlisle spoke in wonder.

"She was able to do a lot of things," Esme injected with a smile.

"Just _who_ is Hermione Black?" Jasper asked aloud.

"That's a good question," Edward muttered.

"Was anyone else slightly afraid of her?" Emmet asked and they all turned to him. "No? Me, either," he said and they rolled their eyes at him.

"Tuesday we'll have our answers to the questions we've all had since meeting her," Esme spoke. "And you all had better be on your best behaviour; this must be a stressful time for her."

"But the mutts..."

"Rosalie," Esme scolded lightly. "I will not have any of you jeopardising any possibility of Hermione being a part of this family. It seems that the wolf pack is a part of her life and we must accept that." 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 10

**Tuesday 7th November 2006**

Hermione had spent all of Monday either tending to her fathers and ensuring their health or in her potions lab, restocking her potions supplies. She'd been too anxious to sleep and spent most of the day flittering about to keep herself busy and once dinnertime rolled around, she'd had a simple meal seeing no point in cooking for just herself when her fathers had slept right through and then she'd turned in for the night.

That night she'd be taking a Dreamless Sleep Potion. After the war, Hermione had developed an addiction to the potion, it affecting her mental and physical health and it had taken four months to break her from the addiction. Due to those circumstances, she was only allowed to ingest one Dreamless Sleep Potion a month and she reserved that for the night following the full moon as her fathers were usually still recovering and they needed their rest which they most certainly wouldn't get if she woke them during the night

She'd spent the day tending to her fathers; Remus had finally woken and Hermione was glad to see that his bones had grown back perfectly and without issue, his broken ankle was healed and the confirmed fractured wrist had been patched up with a healing charm. The smaller cuts and abrasions were long gone but the deeper wounds needed a little more treatment and attention, another application of Essence of Dittany, some clean bandages and a small dose of Pain Potion to take the edge off.

Sirius had allowed her to tend to his injuries the night before and the following day he woke as his usual self, grumpy and grumbling. Hermione had made them breakfast in bed, refusing to allow Remus to leave given his still weakened form, and she'd done the same when lunchtime arrived.

An hour before Hermione was due to meet with the pack and Cullens, Hermione hadn't been impressed when Remus put his foot down, pulling the Alpha card and she'd scowled and stomped her way to the kitchen, Sirius finding the entire conversation amusing and he'd laughed until she'd moodily thrown a hex his way.

Before she left to meet with the others, she'd showered to remove the smell from her skin and hair after spending some time in her potions lab, and she'd dressed in a pair of white skinny jeans, black thick heeled ankle boots, a black spaghetti strap top and a green-brown long-sleeved, knee-length cardigan, allowing her hair to flow down her back. Once she was ready, she exited her room and headed for the living room, her eyes glancing about her surroundings, ensuring the place was tidy, the table had been set and that Stasis Charm had been cast over the cooked food to keep it warm and protect it from insects.

"Hermione, it's spotless in here and dinner's ready," Remus chuckled from his place perched on the couch, dressed comfortably in his blue jeans, white running shoes, white t-shirt and brown cardigan. Hermione had never seen someone own so many cardigans.

"Are you sure you should be out of bed?" She questioned in concern.

"I'm fine, I feel a lot better."

"You're lying, your heartbeat increased," she responded with a narrowed gaze.

"That's going to be annoying," he chuckled. "Now I know how others feel when I do it to them. I'm in a little pain, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"You can't have any more pain relief until after dinner," she reminded him.

"I can wait, I'm not letting you and Sirius do this without me. This affects all of us, we may have to leave, contact the Order and be moved to another location if they are a threat to us."

"Yes, Alpha," she said quietly.

"I know you don't want to leave. I've seen a difference in you; you smile a lot more, you laugh more often, you have friends here, people that care for you. Who would've thought the people to bring you back to life would be vampires and shape-shifters?" He chuckled. "I'm proud of you, Hermione, I just want you to know that. Whatever happens tonight, Sirius and I will stand by you."

"Thank you, Alpha," she muttered quietly. "I wouldn't have made it this far if I didn't have you and Sirius. I would've been a shell, incapable of feeling any emotion after all that I've witnessed and done. When I had that addiction..." She trailed off, unable to finish her thoughts.

"We only reciprocate what you do for us, Cub," he replied softly. "Now, go and get the motley crew, if you weren't joking about their eating habits and they eat like the Weasleys, they'll already be starving." Hermione laughed at him. "And if Sirius doesn't get his lazy arse out of bed he won't be eating at all!" Remus raised his voice and twisted towards the corridor that led to the bedrooms.

"I'm up, keep ya fur on!" Sirius called back, Hermione shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Wish me luck," she sighed before leaving the tent, taking her wand in hand and spinning on her heel, apparating and landing in the cover of the trees.

The moment her feet hit the ground, her vision refocused and she could see the Cullens and pack had already arrived, but the atmosphere most certainly wasn't good. She'd felt the sudden calmness that set in, knowing it was Jasper's doing and he'd only do such a thing if it were necessary. Stepping out of the cover of the trees and into the dimly lit woods, it was to the sight of the pack minus Seth growling viciously and Emmet, Rosalie and Edward snarling as they glared at one another, the remainder of the Cullens looking bored.

"Was I not clear? This is exactly the behaviour I wished to avoid," she spoke, her annoyance apparent in her voice, her narrowed gaze and her hands resting on her hips. As one, the pack and Cullens turned towards her, having not heard her arrival due to their behaviour and they quieted down. "Honestly, you are teenagers and _you_ ," she pointed to Sam, "Are twenty-two-years-old, an adult, you're a bad influence and you should be leading by example," she scolded, easily slipping into her mother hen mode like she used to do in school. "And _you_ ," she turned to the vampires. "I don't know how old you are and I don't care. You should know better than to act so childishly. I don't care if Emmet called you a flea-bag and I don't care if Jared told you to sit on a stake, stop it or I swear, I'll bar you from the meeting and deprive you of the one thing you want the most; answers. My life's stressful enough without you adding to it," she sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted and she brought her hands up to her head, rubbing at her temples; she was already getting a headache.

Hearing a light laugh, Hermione looked towards an amused Esme and Carlisle, the former holding an expression of approval on her face.

"That was a very motherly thing to do, scold the children," Esme commented, seeming proud of her actions.

"Yes, well, I have two fathers, one of them a bona fide man-child. In school, I was the mother hen whether my classmates liked it or not, but now, we should get going, we've a bit of a trek, about twelve miles. Follow me," she instructed.

She leaned forward, her arms outstretched and by the time her hands touched the ground, she'd transformed and a large white wolf now stood where Hermione once did. Without giving them time to comment, she turned and took off with a leap, sprinting through the woods.

"Why don't her clothes get ruined?" She heard Leah mutter.

"Yeah, and why isn't she naked when she phases?" Embry asked, sounding confused.

"I don't know, do I?" Sam replied annoyed and she could only imagine the look he sent the younger boy's way.

Not long later she was joined and surrounded by eight giant wolves and the three ran beside her, Jacob's fur being russet, Paul's a silver-grey and Seth's a sandy brown. Running behind her with several feet between them to allow for space were the other five wolves; the light grey and smallest wolf being Leah, the brown furred wolf with the colour darkening around the face being Jared, the pale-grey and black spotted wolf being Embry, the chocolate brown fur that lightened around the face belonging to Quil, and the final wolf being the largest but not by much where Jacob was concerned, had jet black fur that belonged to Sam.

Jared, seeing that she'd glanced their way, shut one eye and at the realisation he'd just winked at her, Hermione released a wolf-like snort of amusement. Seeing movement from the corner of her eye, she looked to the right where she spied the Cullens running beside them whilst keeping their distance to prevent any fights from breaking out between them and the wolves.

 _'How much longer? I'm starving,'_ she heard Quil say.

 _'How the hell am I supposed to know?'_ Sam replied irritably.

Hermione didn't think she'd ever get used to having others' voices in her mind or that she was able to hear their conversations. She wasn't entirely sure why she could, if she were honest. She supposed she had to take into account that whilst they weren't the same, the pack and herself were still shape-shifters, just of different branches of magic, so to her it made some sense they'd be able to communicate in such a way. She made a mental note to do a little research into the matter when she had the time. As it was, she was certain the pack had no idea she was able to hear their conversations.

 _'I hope she can cook,'_ Jared thought.

 _'I'm no Gordon Ramsey, but I do my best. Unless you would prefer that my fathers cook for you? Sirius would give you food poisoning by just looking at the oven, Remus isn't much better but at least he can make a sandwich without claiming he's the God of Everything or that he invented chocolate spread, which he didn't no matter what Sirius tells you or how adamant he is,'_ she interjected.

_'WHAT THE FUCK!?'_

_S_ he winced against the onslaught of surprised comments that filled her mind, a dull throbbing taking up home and giving her a headache. She heard missteps and stumbles before they seemed to right themselves.

 _'How're you doing that?'_ Paul questioned, his surprise and excitement not masked in his tone.

 _'I'm not sure, it might carry over from my other abilities or it might have something to do with us both being shape-shifters, I'd have to do some research,'_ she answered honestly.

 _'So you can hear us?_ All _of us?'_ Sam asked her evenly. She knew that he was now anxious and suspicious of her after what'd been revealed recently and she suspected it would likely get worse when the rest of her secrets were brought forward.

_'No, I can't hear all of you; I can only hear those that are talking. If you're not actively involved in the conversation I can't hear you.'_

_'Well, now I know you can hear me, how much longer until we get there? I'm starving,'_ Quil thought.

 _'I'm sure you're not actually starving,'_ she thought with a roll of her eyes, amused by his words. _'But don't worry, it's not much further, but we'll have to continue on foot as humans in a few minutes. But speaking of food, it's more of a buffet than an actual meal,'_ she said before Hermione slowed her steps until she came to a gradual halt and they all stopped, too. _'This is where we stop, so off you go and change back, I'll wait here.'_

 _'With the vampires!'_ Jacob's voice rose, a growl wrapping around his words as his eyes darted to the Cullens distrustfully.

_'They're not going to hurt me; if needs be, I can have them flat on their arses before they even contemplate harming me. I told you I'm not like you, I'm different. Please, just go and change, it'll take a couple of minutes at most. I'm sure you'll still be able to hear us.'_

Hermione deliberately ignored his thoughts on the matter and it wasn't until Seth nudged Jacob that he reluctantly followed the wolves behind a cluster of trees to change back into his human form.

Turning to face the family of vampires, Hermione approached them, spying the way Rosalie was discreetly looking at her and if Hermione wasn't mistaken, she actually seemed to be a little in awe of her appearance.

 _'Want to give me a belly rub, Rosalie?_ ' She thought after lowering her shields to allow for Edward to hear her words but she was mindful to keep all of her memories securely barricaded to keep him from seeing anything she didn't wish him to.

"She wants to know if you want to give her a belly rub," Edward spoke, Rosalie, Emmet and Jasper laughing whilst Esme and Carlisle chuckled. The only two people that didn't laugh were Alice and Edward, both of who, had realised that he'd been able to hear her thoughts.

 _'You can read my thoughts?'_ She said knowingly.

He nodded slowly, his golden eyes watching her curiously. "How? How do you know I can read thoughts? How am I hearing you? I can't as a human; can I only do it when you're a wolf?"

_'That's a long story, Edward. I've known for a while that you have the ability to read thoughts. Just as I'm certain Jasper can feel and manipulate the emotions of those around.'_

" _How_ do you know about Jasper's abilities?" He questioned, his surprise growing.

"Excuse me?" Jasper interrupted, his eyes widening in surprise and bemusement.

 _'I'll explain that, but as for why you are now able to hear my thoughts, it's because I'm no longer blocking your access. You shouldn't be able to hear my fathers' thoughts either, unless you're persistent, that is, and you're able to break through their barriers. I'm much better at blocking outside influences than they are,'_ she replied before turning when she heard the pack emerging from the trees, dressed and in human form.

Hermione pushed herself off the ground and onto her hind legs and in doing so she became human and she casually smoothed out her t-shirt and readjusted her cardigan.

"You make it looks so effortless considering you had your first change yesterday," Sam commented, seeming to be less anxious around her when she was in her human form.

"And you get to keep your clothes," Leah muttered enviously.

"I'm not like you," she shrugged her shoulders. "But you'll be getting the answers you wish soon, we should arrive at our destination in about ten minutes, and you should brace yourselves; you're about to see something you've never seen before, that I can promise. I need you to keep an open mind and remember that vampires and shape-shifting wolves are very real, so anything I may tell you is the truth. So, let's make a move."

She turned on her heel and walked off, the pack following after her and the Cullens once again staying to the right of them but travelling at human walking speed.

"Your father, the one you call Alpha, what is he?" Quil questioned, falling into step beside Jacob who was walking on her right and he peered around the larger teen to look at her.

There was no point in sugar-coating it or lying. They were going to find out eventually.

"He's a werewolf,"

"Werewolves don't exist," he snorted.

"Says the eight-foot-tall wolf," she fired back.

"I see your point," he muttered in defeat.

"He's not a monster."

"We didn't say he was," Jacob responded softly, catching her gaze.

"I can see exactly what you think, it's written as clear as day on your faces," she replied and they had the grace to look guilty. "Werewolves are seriously misunderstood beings. It's true that once a month at the full moon he changes into a werewolf. Being a werewolf wasn't his choice; he was bitten when he was four-years-old," she started and she heard Esme gasp softly. She twisted slightly to see the kind vampire step a little closer to the pack in a show of support. "It was his father's doing, he had a vendetta against werewolves and Remus was brought into the crossfire, being bitten to teach his father a lesson. I'm sure I told you he had an illness and he's ostracised for it, well, this is it. For one day out of the month, he changes from human to being and the remainder of the days he's a perfectly regular human being. Remus is _not_ a monster, he's been changing twelve times a year for almost thirty-six years and he's never once hurt anyone. In all honesty, he does more damage to himself. He used to lock himself in the basement or a shack but his wolf wasn't happy as he craved a pack. He finally got that when he was fifteen and then it was taken from him. Sirius and I are all he has left."

"Does he have any abilities?" Paul questioned curiously, likely thinking of his own capabilities.

She nodded. "Yes, quite similar to you actually; advanced sight, smell, hearing and healing. His body temperature is slightly higher and he has faster reflexes. He has an addiction to chocolate, it's all we feed him coming up to the full moon and a couple of days afterwards, it keeps him happy," she shrugged.

"Is he dangerous?" Alice asked her, her voice flittering through the quiet woods.

"No, only on the full moon and now we have something that we can give him to help him control the wolf. The wolf is always present and influencing Remus, but the full moon is the night when the wolf is at its strongest and it dominates Remus' humanity, making him one-hundred percent wolf. There's not a mean bone in my Alpha's body; he's the nicest and kindest man you'll ever meet, and he's been treated horrendously for something that isn't his fault and that's out of his control. He goes through unimaginable pain every month and there's nothing that can be done to prevent it; he's stuck with the curse until the day he dies."

They fell quiet as they processed Hermione's words, the only sounds being that of their breathing and their heavy footsteps disturbing the ground and breaking the leaves and foliage beneath them. As she approached the wards surrounding the tent, she felt her magic buzzing, the wards recognising the wand in her pocket and her magical signature.

"Okay, we're here," she informed them, halting in her steps.

They each searched their surroundings, seeing nothing but trees.

"Err... I don't see anything. Why would you have a house in the middle of the woods anyway?" Emmet asked.

"We didn't want to live in Forks and we didn't want to intrude on the Tribe or their land. We needed somewhere no one would think to find us, we need to stay under the radar. But instead, I attract shape-shifters and vampires, of course that would happen," she rolled her eyes.

"Why would you need that? Why do you need to stay hidden?" Jasper asked puzzled, trying to feel for her emotions to give him answers but she was unusually calm.

"I told you that we moved here because my fathers' work brought us here, well, I was lying but I suspect you know that already," she said and they all nodded.

"Your heartbeat sped up," Quil confirmed.

"My fathers' work didn't bring us here, we were _sent_. We're in hiding; Forks is my safe house and my fathers are my protectors. I promised I'll explain everything, but I don't like staying out in the open for too long, so let's get inside. Just... Just don't freak out," she warned before turning to face the wards. "Everyone line up, facing the same way as me. Vampires on my right, wolves my left," she instructed and despite their confusion, they did as she asked.

Paul manoeuvred until he was standing on her left, something Jacob definitely wasn't pleased with and Esme stood on her right, giving Hermione a soft, encouraging smile. She lifted her left hand, holding it out towards Paul with the palm facing up and he cocked a questioning eyebrow.

"I need you to hold onto each other, you won't be able to get through the wards if you don't. They're protecting my home, keeping us hidden; that's why you can't see anything."

Glancing down at her hand, he shrugged his shoulders before lifting his much larger hand and clasping it around hers, and she watched as the other wolves placed their hands to rest on each other's shoulders. Esme's cold hand gently settled against Hermione's shoulder and the Cullens each put a hand on the person next to them.

"Don't let go, if you do you'll get severely injured. I'm not even certain what wards are erected and protecting the area; my fathers and I each did our own research and added to the wards."

She shifted her right arm and the tip of her wand poked out beneath her sleeve and she pressed it against the wards, feeling a tingle wash over her as the wards accepted her. She spied from the corners of her eyes that everyone either shifted or swayed a little on their feet, an indication that they'd all been accepted, too.

"Everyone take five steps forward, quickly, before the wards reset," she instructed and they all did so, Hermione releasing a sigh of relief and released Paul's hand, Esme's falling from her shoulder as she stepped away from them and approached the small tent.

"You _live_ in there? How is that even possible?" Rosalie asked, the horror unmasked on her face and in her tone.

"There's no way we can all fit in there?" Embry spoke. "Hell, one of us wouldn't even fit," he said, gesturing to his packmates' large frames.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Hermione replied lightly. "So, who wants to go first?" She asked, searching their faces and they all wore matching incredulous expressions.

"I'll go," Emmet and Seth stepped forward in a non-deliberate motion.

She smiled at them. "Well, what are you waiting for? In you go," she motioned towards the tent.

The shape-shifter and vampire shared a glance before they approached the tent, Emmet slipping through the flaps first.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD!"

"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek as Emmet and Seth darted out of the tent and they ran around the perimeter _twice_ , seeing that it was, in fact, impossibly bigger on the inside.

"How?" Emmet stuttered, his eyes wide.

"Appearances can be deceiving," she repeated.

"You'll all fit in, you _have_ to see this," Seth said, he and Emmet both darting back inside the tent.

They collectively stared at his retreating form but the shape-shifters slowly followed after him with the vampires not far behind them, calls and noises of surprise flittering to her ears and she laughed before stepping through herself.

They were all standing silently and just staring. They could see the opened planned living room, dining area and kitchen. The dark wooden floors, blue walls, white plush seating furniture and dark glass tables. Moving photos covered the walls along with the many bookcases that held more books than should've been possible. The large and luxurious fireplace was lit and glowed in the tent, floating candles and jars of blue-bell flames supplying the only light source.

The dining table on the raised platform had been enlarged and chairs duplicated so there would be enough to cater to everyone, and the smell of the cooked food wafted throughout the tent.

She stepped around the gawking visitors and approached Remus who was sitting silently on the couch, his book forgotten and placed beside him on the cushion and he observed their guests in amusement, looking to be struggling with containing his laughter.

"Where's Sirius?" She asked him, seeing her father wasn't present.

"Still in bed," he replied.

Hermione huffed in annoyance. "Papa!" she yelled, breaking the others from their silent disbelief. "I swear, if you don't get your lazy arse out of bed, I'll hex you!"

"I'd like to see you try!" He fired back.

Remus chuckled and shook his head, "Shouldn't have said that," he spoke through his laughter.

"I'll be right back, if you hear any screaming don't be alarmed," Hermione smiled sweetly.

She turned and headed down the corridor before disappearing from view, a ruckus soon filling the silence as items were smashed and yells of profanities soon followed.

Hermione reappeared in the living room, a smile on her face as she reached up and pushed her hair back from her face.

"I apologise for my father being so rude, he usually is better company. We'll get some food in him and he'll be better behaved," she promised and Remus snorted at her.

Sirius entered the room, a scowl on his face and a wince falling from his lips as he rubbed at his arse cheek.

"Bloody bossy witch," he muttered beneath his breath, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch, Remus receiving a scowl when he laughed at him.

Sirius was sporting his customary black and tight-fitting short-sleeved t-shirt that displayed his muscles and some of his tattoos, black jeans and black hiking boots. Hermione had seen his closet and that was all it consisted of. _Nothing_ else.

Sirius leaned back into the couch, folded his arms over his chest and lifted his feet, perching them on the coffee table until Hermione and Remus both picked up a cushion and threw them at him.

"Ow! What is this? Bloody pick on Sirius day?" He scowled.

"For heaven's sake, don't be a baby," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"T-the pho-photos a-are m-moving," Embry stuttered badly, struggling to get his words out.

"It's bigger on the inside, _how_ is that possible?" Carlisle whispered, his eyes searching his surroundings in wonder.

"Bigger? It's like a fucking mansion in here," Paul commented.

"The candles are _floating_ ," Jared spoke in wonder.

"Welcome to our world," Hermione smiled.

"And _what_ world would that be?" Edward asked her.

"Magic," Hermione, Remus and Sirius spoke in sync.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Tuesday 7th November 2006**

They were met with silence, all eyes darting between them in search of any sign that would show they were joking.

"Magic?" The group echoed disbelievingly.

"Magic," the three magical folk clarified.

"Magic doesn't exist," Sam scoffed, looking at her as if she belonged in a mental institution.

"No? Look around you, how else would you explain everything in this tent? Magic _does_ exist, it's just kept a secret and hidden from the world. We have our own communities, villages, towns and cities. We have our own government, schools, hospitals and banks, modes of transport, medication, laws, sports, music. We have doctors, professional athletes, policemen, lawyers, musicians, teachers, bankers and accountants, shop owners, animal preservationists. We have everything you do only we have magic to aid with our day to day life and we're hidden from you. You can't see us unless we want you to, which we don't. It's against the law to reveal magic to muggles."

"Muggles?"

"A muggle is a human that doesn't possess any magical ability."

" _What_ are you?" He asked with a narrowed gaze, seeming to be the only one capable of speech as the others processed the information they were given.

"I'm a witch, Sirius and Remus are wizards."

"Aren't witches supposed to have green skin, a pointy hat, boils and warts and a black cat? Go around turning people into toads and flying on a broom?" Emmet questioned. Hermione and her fathers shared a look before they burst into sniggers. "What did I say?" He asked confused.

"Aren't vampires supposed to have no reflection and be thwarted by garlic, sunlight, holy water and a pointy wooden stick?" She fired back, Remus and Sirius chuckling at her. "No, all of that's a load of stereotypical rubbish. Well, I admit we _do_ fly on brooms, I, however, never had the talent. It took me six years to pluck up the courage to hover ten feet off the ground. We _do_ have pointed hats but we only wear them in school for special occasions. We do also have familiars, usually a cat, owl or toad. I had Crookshanks."

"Others called him the reincarnation of Satan," Sirius injected with a smirk.

"He wasn't that bad," Hermione defended.

"He attacked anyone that wasn't you, me or Remus. And even then, he took a swipe at Remus a few times."

"He was a good judge of character; he brought us to you, didn't he?"

Sirius' expression softened. "Yes, yes, he did."

"What's a 'Crookshanks' and where is it?" Alice asked intrigued.

"My cat, he was part kneazle, a magical breed. He died during the war."

"War?" Everyone echoed, several looked intrigued and others concerned.

Sadness washed over Sirius, Hermione and Remus, their expressions dulling and posture stiffening. Jasper, unable to manage the pain of feeling the exceptionally strong emotions from the three of them, stumbled back with a grimace on his face and his hand pressed against his stomach as if that would stop it from hurting. Shooting him concerned glances, Edward and Emmet being the closest, reached out to support him.

"What's happening?" Seth asked.

"He's feeling our emotions," Hermione said quietly, a guilty and apologetic expression settling on her face and she pulled her wand from her sleeve, saying, " _Accio_ Numbing Potion."

They each glanced to one another, puzzled by her actions, but then a vial of red liquid soared into the room and she reached out, catching it in her hand. They stared in surprise at the action and she approached Jasper.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "We'll try and keep ourselves contained but we'll likely fail given what we plan to discuss this evening, and it hasn't been that long, everything's still a little too raw and painful. Drink this, I'm not sure if or how it will work given your non-human status, but it's worth a try."

Jasper held her gaze for a moment before reaching out and taking the vial from her, pulling the stopper free and downing the potion, releasing a cough as the liquid slid down his throat. He waited a few moments and then he felt the ache in his stomach and chest soothing until it was barely noticeable.

"I don't feel anything," he frowned, rubbing at his chest. It was disconcerting not feeling anything after over a century of feeling everything. Well, that's not true. He could still feel their emotions but it was almost as if he were numb to it. The number of times he'd wished he didn't have to feel what others were feeling and now that he had it, it was strange, unnatural.

"It usually lasts eight hours but with your vampire status, I'm sure it'll wear off faster, the venom in your body working to destroy and attack the foreign agent. Hopefully, it remains in your system long enough for us to get through this evening. I doubt it will function at its full potential, again, because of the venom in your body, but it should still lessen the discomfort and affect our emotions may have on you."

"How are you a wolf if you're not one of us?" Sam asked her warily, his eyes briefly moving to Sirius as he'd seen him change from a large dog, too.

"The difference between you and I is that you are a shape-shifter whereas Sirius and myself are Animagi."

"What?" He frowned.

"Shape-shifters are _born_ with the ability to change their form into that of an animal. There's a form of magic that allows magic folk to transform into an animal, the process is known as Animagi transfiguration. It's an extremely difficult form of magic and it can take years to master, which is why most never do it or even attempt it. Unlike you, we have to _train_ our bodies and our minds, we have to complete rituals and meditation. It took Sirius a year to complete his transformation. When becoming an Animagus, you take on the form of your spirit animal, Sirius' is a dog, mine's a wolf. I'd attempted to complete the process in the past but I had to stop, and I was able to continue my training back in May which I finally completed last night. Of course, we're both illegal. Animagi are required to register their forms and markings with the government so they may track our whereabouts and if they discover that we haven't and we are Animagi, well, it's bothersome for us. Anyway, I believe that answers your question on how, so, let's take a short break and eat dinner. Remus is still recovering and needs to keep up his strength."

"How is it possible that he has healed in such little time?" Carlisle asked mystified. "Injuries such as those should've taken weeks to heal, months with broken bones."

"We have our own medications and treatments, potions and healing charms. We have spells and charms for almost everything," she replied. "Anyway, shape-shifters, find yourself a seat at the table please."

Sirius stood from the couch and helped Remus to his feet, but still not being back to his full strength after the terrible night he'd had, he wobbled and almost fell. Seth, being the closest, closed the distance and helped to catch him, Sirius shooting him a grateful look.

"I knew you should've stayed in bed, you can't even stand up," Hermione said, her hands coming up to her hips and her eyes narrowing disapprovingly.

"I'm fine, Hermione," Remus argued.

"Alpha, you're in pain, I can see it on your face."

"I'll take a Pain Potion after we've eaten dinner and then I'll be fine. We both know how helpful food can be for someone like me."

Sighing, she reluctantly nodded her head and her hands dropped down by her sides and she stepped aside, making room for them as Seth and Sirius helped Remus over to the dining table and he sat in the head's seat with Sirius taking the seat to his left and Seth sat next to him.

Glancing towards the dining table, the pack crossed to it, Sam taking the other seat at the head of the table opposite Remus. Jacob sitting opposite Seth knowing that the seat on Remus' right would be for Hermione. Paul sat next to Seth with Quil next to him and Embry and Leah sat opposite them and Jared sat on Sam's left being the Beta, which left one empty chair on Sam's right.

" _Accio_ Dragon Pops" Hermione muttered with a flick of her wand, a box flying into the room and she reached out and caught it. "I know you don't eat so to keep you occupied I have these for you. Dragon blood lollipops, they're made from actual dragon blood."

"Dragons are real?" Emmet exploded in excitant, bouncing on the balls of his feet with a large grin.

"Yes, they are, but don't get any ideas. Their skin is thick and impenetrable, their claws will rip you apart and their wings will break every bone in your body if struck by one, and, they breathe _fire_ ," she rolled her eyes. "Not to mention, most species are protected because they're endangered. Dragon breeding is extremely difficult." She handed the box to Alice. "I better go and feed them, enjoy." She crossed to the dinner table, stopping beside her seat. "A little help, Padfoot?"

"Yep," he nodded, pulling his wand and they aimed them at the kitchen counter.

" _Wingardium Leviosa_ ," they spoke and platters of food floated in mid-air as they were manoeuvred to the dining table and gently lowered to the surface, the pack's eyes widening at the display of magic as well as the large selection of food.

Lining the table were platters of meats -chicken, lamb, pork, beef-, bowls of pasta and rice, bread rolls and soups, along with a selection of salad and fruits, pigs in blankets, cheeses, hot dogs and finger sandwiches and for dessert, there were three large chocolate fudge cakes and ice cream.

"You didn't have to go to so much trouble, Hermione," Seth spoke, his eyes darting between her and the food in amazement.

"Don't worry, I didn't. I had this planned anyway, I only increased the amount I was making to suit you all as I've seen your eating habits. Besides, when you have magic it doesn't take nearly as long," she shrugged her shoulders. "Dig in,"

Apparently, they were waiting for those words and food was pulled onto their plates in a flurry of movement before they set to eating. Even Sam who was suspicious of her seemed to forget everything around him as he focused on putting more food on his plate than it could actually hold.

Dinner had been eaten in record time with conversation not being the main focus of the meal, and the pack eating quickly so they could get their answers to their many questions. With a flick of her wand, the dishes relocated to the sink which filled with water and washing up liquid and they started to clean themselves.

"Oh, that is awesome," Paul said and she snorted at him before standing from the table and crossing over to the Cullens, Sirius and Seth helping Remus over to the living room.

Once Hermione had enlarged the couches, the shape-shifters and vampires took seats on separate sides of the room, Hermione retrieved a Pain Relief Potion for Remus as well as the couch from her bedroom, which she resized so she, Remus and Sirius could sit together as they faced their guests. Once Remus took the potion, the relief evident on his face, Hermione cleared her throat and shifted to get more comfortable.

"Let's get this started. So, you now know that I'm a witch and Remus and Sirius wizards. We're in hiding and we were sent here for our protection. There was a war, a truly horrific one. As you'll see anywhere in the world, there is good and there is evil, and that applies to magical folk, too. Myself, Remus and Sirius are classified as light magical practitioners though I admit, we do research and study dark magic practices but we'll go into the reasoning behind that later," she paused a moment to ensure they were all listening to her. "Now, in the Wizarding World, we have four classifications, blood groups, if you will. First, we have a Squib, which is a child born to magical parents but the child does not possess magic themselves or has very little magical potential and as such, they tend to live their lives here in the Muggle World, away from magic and amongst the muggles. Next, we have Muggleborns, which are magical folk that are born to muggles, humans without magic. My biological parents were without magic, I _am_ a Muggleborn. Then we have Half-bloods, which are born to either one muggle and one magical parent, or two magical and none Pureblooded parents, which I'll mention in a moment."

"I'm a Half-blood," Remus informed them. "My mother was a muggle and my father a Half-blood wizard, my mother didn't learn of his magic until after they married, it being illegal for him to tell her at until after their wedding."

"And finally we have Purebloods, which are magical folk that are comprised of solely _magical_ lineage with zero muggle ancestry and the older Pureblood families can trace their magical lines back centuries, some even millennia."

"I'm a Pureblood," Sirius shrugged. "Now, as I'm sure you've figured out, in order to remain _pure_ and to prevent muggle lineage from _infecting_ the bloodline and with the majority of the population being comprised of Half-blood and Muggleborns, the Pureblood circuit was quite small. Arranged marriages are highly common within the Pureblood community, most children being matched from the day they are born, some even after the gender has been revealed and the child is still in the womb. Unfortunately, the child is unable to have a say in who they marry and it is a magically binding contract that if broken, can result in death. Whether you love another or you despise your intended, the fact of the matter is, once you graduate Hogwarts you're expected to marry and produce an heir to continue the bloodline. For this reason, Purebloods are for lack of a better term, inbred. My mother married my father, who was her second cousin. Due to this, every Pureblood family is effectively related in one way or another," Sirius explained, his mouth twitching at their horrified and disgusted looks.

"Many Pureblood families believe that only Purebloods should have magic and that anything less than Pureblood is vermin, an abomination. Some have been shown to be lenient with Half-bloods as they have _some_ magical ancestry, Muggleborns, however... We're treated terribly. They believe we stole their magic, that being the reason behind the increased birth rate of Squibs and the Pureblood's weakening magic. Of course, you can't steal magic, you're born with it, but no one knows where it comes from. There's been theories but there's no concrete evidence to prove or disprove them. I can't be bad-mouthing all Purebloods, but it is the majority of them that hold these beliefs, mainly members of the Sacred Twenty-eight," Hermione spoke.

"The Sacred Twenty-eight are the very first magical families to have existed in Britain and as we've mentioned, they can trace back their lineage thousands of years, magic existed long before vampires did," Remus took over. "The Sacred Twenty-eight are usually but are not always, the most respected and wealthiest Pureblood families. The name we give to such families who hold the beliefs of superiority over other magical folk is blood supremacy."

"The Malfoys, Blacks, Lestranges, Parkinsons, Bulstroudes, Flints, Goyles, Crabbes, Notts, Zabinis, Gaunts, Greengrasses, Yaxleys, Rowles, Rosiers, Carrows," Sirius listed off easily, the names having been drilled into him when he was but a young child. "These are some of The Sacred Twenty-eight and they _all_ believed in blood supremacy. The Gaunts, however, no longer exist; the Pureblood line was wiped out due to inbreeding and many others have shared the same the fate."

"There are, however, Pureblood families and families of the Sacred Twenty-eight that don't hold such beliefs," Hermione said. "The Potters, Weasleys, Shacklebots, Prewetts, Diggorys, Longbottoms, Macmillans, Ollivanders and a few others." She turned her eyes to Sirius, seeking his approval and he tipped his head, giving her it. "The entire Black line were blood supremacists and their beliefs were pushed upon Sirius from the day he was born and as the heir to the House of Black, it was expected of him to uphold those beliefs. He rebelled all his life and he suffered for it, but once he was sixteen, he was officially disowned and the Potters took him in and raised him. Unfortunately, his younger brother Regulus wasn't so lucky."

"Now that you know of the different blood groups and the blood supremacy that we face in our world, we shall explain the reasoning behind our presence here," Remus spoke, giving Hermione a nod of encouragement.

"Well, decades ago, a dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort, emerged and no one had seen anything like him. No one knew his true identity except for one man, Albus Dumbledore. At the time, Albus Dumbledore was the most powerful light wizard to exist. He was known for defeating dark wizards in battles and he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Voldemort had a hatred for everything, and I mean _everything_. He craved power and knowing of the beliefs most Pureblood's held, he drew them to his side, using their wealth and power for his own personal gain. He started a war in which Muggleborns and Muggles were targeted for torture and murder. He wanted to exterminate us and our _filthy_ blood," she spat. "Purebloods that stood against him and his followers, Death Eaters, were labelled as blood traitors."

"That's me, I'm a blood traitor," Sirius stated proudly as he raised his hand high, sending her a wink. Her mouth twitched into a smile and she sniggered at him.

"Well, they were targeted, too, and unless He believed they could be persuaded to join his side, they were killed. Don't get me wrong; the majority of his followers joined his cause willingly but we know some were forced through the Imperius Curse or blackmail."

"There's many forms and branches of magic in existence, but the majority of them fall into three categories. Light Magic which is good, Grey Magic which is the middle ground, maybe a little dodgy and then Dark Magic, which is known for its horrendous and life taking curses. There is a fourth category, the Unforgivable Curses. There are three of them and the use of any one of them is an automatic prison sentence in Azkaban, and it's certainly a place everyone wishes to avoid. Built on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is guarded by dark creatures known as dementors and they feed on every strand of happiness within a person, sucking it out of their bodies, causing criminals to relive their crimes, to hear and see every person they have ever wronged or harmed, every minute of every day." Hermione's hand had moved to grip Sirius' tightly and Remus had done the same, too, the others noticing and sharing a quick confused glance. "If a sentence of the dementor's kiss is given, you are damned to an eternal hell, dead or alive, you will be but a shell of a human being, not being able to eat, to speak, to sleep, to function. They suck out the soul and feast on it, they steal the very life force."

The shape-shifters looked nauseous whilst the Cullens held horrified expressions on their faces, even Emmet's usual smile and twinkling eyes that reminded her so much of Fred and George had been wiped clean off his face.

"The three Unforgivables are the Imperius Curse which is essentially, mind control; it allows for the caster to burrow inside the victim's mind and control every action or word and the victim is powerless. Death Eaters are known for using it on families that stand against them. There was the case were a ten-year-old boy was Imperio'd and forced to kill his mother, two younger sisters and his older sister. They made the father watch before they tortured and killed the boy and then the father was killed," Remus spoke quietly.

"The second is the Cruciatus Curse," Hermione said quietly, flashbacks of her time trapped in Malfoy Manor haunting her mind and she barely remembered to keep her shields up to prevent Edward from seeing. "It's the Torture Curse. To cast it you have to wish for the most unimaginable pain to be projected on the victim, you have to hate them so much that you want them to suffer. If you suffer under it long enough, you'll be begging for death just so the pain stops. It feels as though white-hot knives are carving into you, as though your blood is being boiled and every bone in your body is being shattered into a thousand pieces, as though you're choking, suffocating on your own blood. Yet despite that, it doesn't cause any physical injuries, not unless you're under it for considerably longer periods of time."

"You speak as though you have experience with it," Seth noted quietly.

"I do; several experiences," she whispered.

"WHAT!?" Paul, Edward and Jacob burst with rage, jumped to their feet with their fists clenched tightly and eyes blazing with fury as they scanned her body for injuries.

"We'll get to that part soon enough, sit down," she sighed. Surprisingly but reluctantly, they did.

"The final Unforgivable Curse is the Killing Curse," Sirius finished. "As you can imagine, it is instant death if struck with it. The majority of magical spells can be blocked or deflected, but these three can't be. If one is heading in your direction, you either get out of the way and quickly or you're struck, your life is over no matter the curse."

"We've gone way off topic," Hermione muttered, pushing her hair back from her face. "Voldemort gathered follows and he used them to do his dirty work. They had no reservations about using dark magic or the Unforgivables on anyone, Voldemort even used it on his own followers and the idiots still worshipped him. Over the years his forces doubled and he became bolder in his movements."

"We'd just graduated Hogwarts, 1986. The war was at its peak and Albus Dumbledore created a secret organisation, the Order of the Phoenix, and it was dedicated to finding a way to defeat Voldemort and protecting the innocent. Sirius and I have been members since we graduated school," Remus spoke.

"In the Wizarding World, we have ways of predicting the future. Centaurs use Astronomy, yes centaurs are real," she said when she noticed their shocked expressions. "We have Seers and we're taught classes at school, Divination."

"Which she hated," Sirius added.

"Trelawney was _not_ a Seer, she was a fraud. I mean, predicting that Malfoy would marry Ginny. As if she would marry an arrogant, cruel, slimy, lying little bastard. Honestly, what a load of absolute dragon..."

Remus cleared his throat, halting Hermione's words.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"You know I love it when you insult our cousins, but maybe we shouldn't be airing our fucked-up family's dirty laundry where we have guests present," Sirius said amused.

She lifted her eyes to see the forms of surprise and amusement that varied on their faces, as well as their highly raised or questioningly cocked eyebrows, at her sudden outburst.

"And there's also Arithmancy, which is using advanced maths and other variables to predict future outcomes. Anyway, a prophecy was made which stated a child that was born as the seventh month dies would be Voldemort's downfall, and with him being the nutjob he was, he discovered this information and targeted all families with a child that was born towards the end of July. James Potter married a Muggleborn witch, Lily Evans, and they had a little boy, Harry. After Voldemort started his search, he narrowed it down to the Potters and the Longbottoms."

"Alice and Frank Longbottom were good people, two of the best Aurors we had," Remus injected.

"Aurors?" Paul asked confused.

"Magical policemen," he explained and they nodded in understanding. "They had a son, Neville and he was born the day before Harry. Their house was broken into and they were tortured under the Cruciatus. They survived but they were tortured to the point of insanity. That was in 1989, they've been on St. Mungo's psychiatric ward since."

"St. Mungos?" Alice asked quietly.

"Magical hospital," he muttered.

"Neville was raised by his Grandmother," Hermione picked up, a fond tone to her voice. "The Potters had been placed in a safe house a year prior, not long after Harry was born. We have a form of magic which allows us to hide a property so that it exists but only to those that are told the address by the Secret Keeper, and only they can see the property or enter and exit. And it is only the Secret Keeper that can tell the address to another, even if you know it yourself, you won't be able to tell anyone. It's known as the Fidelius Charm."

"There were only five people that knew of the address for the safe house. James and Lily, Sirius, Dumbledore and Peter Pettigrew, he was the fourth member of our friendship group," Remus said, his eyes darting to Sirius sadly.

"On October 31st 1989, the safe house was infiltrated; the Secret Keeper had betrayed the Potters. Voldemort arrived, James was unarmed and killed immediately whilst trying to protect his family. Lily was in Harry's nursery and she sacrificed herself for her son, jumping in front of the Killing Curse and she died. Voldemort turned his wand on Harry and whispered the two fatal words, but something went wrong, the curse backfired and struck Voldemort. Harry Potter, a one-year-old baby, had saved the world," she explained and they stared at her silently.

Sirius let out a ragged breath, drawing their attention. "I was arrested for not only killing Pettigrew but for killing James and Lily and twelve innocent muggles. I was framed. They believed that I was the Secret Keeper, that I was the one to give away their location."

"But you weren't," Esme stated softly, knowing without him having to explain.

"No, I wasn't. It was well known that James and I were very close, more like brothers than friends. I would've been the obvious first choice. Anyone could've easily targeted me and tortured the information out of me, so we switched at the last minute. Pettigrew, he was the least likely to be chosen and that's why we went with him. But we didn't know he was already a Death Eater. We had a spy in our ranks and we didn't know. I was sent to Azkaban for twelve years, I wasn't even given a trial." Sirius stood suddenly, changed into his Padfoot form and he sprinted out of the tent, Hermione watching him leave with a blurred vision as tears welled in her eyes.

"He just needs some time, he'll be back," Remus muttered to her softly.

"I know, he's always there when I need him, we haven't gotten to the difficult part yet."

"We haven't?" Jared's voice rose disbelievingly.

"No, we've only spoken of Remus and Sirius' time, mine's a lot more traumatic," she whispered.

"Where were you when all this happened?" Jasper asked Remus.

"I was in Germany on a mission for the Order. I was tasked with spending time with other werewolf packs in hopes of convincing them to join our cause. Voldemort had many dark creatures under his control and we needed to even the playing field. I'm ashamed to admit I believed Sirius to have been the traitor. We stopped sending letters as our last was intercepted, it contained mission plans and several of our members died in Death Eater raids. By this point, we hadn't spoken for close to a year. I assumed Sirius was the Secret Keeper like the rest of the world," he looked down in shame and Hermione gripped his hand tightly, fighting back the tears but one escaped and crawled down her cheek.

"After Voldemort was defeated Harry had no other relatives. Sirius was his Godfather but in prison and Remus wasn't allowed custody due to his werewolf status. There's a _lot_ of prejudice in our world regarding werewolves, it's ridiculous. They have to register themselves with the government, resign themselves to random spot checks by law enforcement, nobody will hire them so they don't have jobs and they're not allowed to enter hospitals, receive medical treatment unless they brew it themselves or find someone to do it privately," Hermione said angrily. "They're treated just as bad as Muggleborns, worse even."

"Back to the point, Cub," he said gently, breaking her out of what would soon be an angry tirade, which he knew from experience, could last for hours.

"Sorry," she sighed. "For eleven years the world was safe again. Harry was taken to the Muggle World and raised by his Aunt and Uncle along with their son. They were awful human beings, they emotionally abused him for years; they made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs until he was eleven," she said angrily and Esme gasped softly, her hand coming up to her mouth and her eyes saddening.

"Both myself and Harry were not aware that magic existed. All Purebloods live in the Wizarding World as do the majority of Half-bloods and Muggleborns tend to live in the Wizarding World once they learn of it and have graduated from Hogwarts. Since our guardians were muggles and they're not aware of magic, we didn't know about it until a letter showed up along with a Professor. My parents fainted when Professor McGonagall turned the teapot into a rabbit," she said with a fond sad smile. "Harry wasn't aware of magic because his Aunt and Uncle kept it from him and they knew of it with Lily being Petunia's sister. I attended Hogwarts where I met Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. There are books written about Harry, 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' is what they dubbed him; the Killing Curse can't be stopped and yet Harry survived. Ronald and I didn't get along at first, until I was attacked by a mountain troll, that is."

"Mountain troll?"

"Yes, Quil, they're real. Disgusting, too," she grimaced. "Thirteen-feet-tall, green skin, obese, smells horrific and carry's a club half my size. But a long story short, I was cornered in the girl's bathroom and injured and they came to my rescue. From that moment on we were referred to as 'The Golden Trio' and have been since. We were inseparable; you'd hardly see one of us without the other. We somehow discovered there was a magical stone hidden in the castle for its protection, and it held the power of immortality, you know, without the whole drinking blood thing," she added, nodding to the vampires and Remus chuckled. "We had a frightening experience in the Forbidden Forest and we discovered that Voldemort wasn't dead, just defeated and he was trying to return to full power. We knew he had inside help, we just believed that it was Professor Severus Snape. He was a former Death Eater, who turned spy for the Order during the First War."

"That implies there was another," Jasper mused.

"There was," Hermione sighed. "We got into a lot of trouble that year, smuggling baby dragons to Romania, sneaking around the castle, someone jinxing Harry's broom and trying to kill him. It wasn't until exams were over that we faced our first near-death experience and trust me, there's plenty over the years. We discovered that Voldemort was going to steal the stone and we tried to warn a Professor but it didn't go to plan. Everything's a little hazy but after a series of deadly trials which included a three-headed dog bigger than a school bus, magical lethal plants, a life-sized game of wizard's chess and a deadly potions riddle. I'm not certain on what happened next, I escorted an unconscious Ron to the hospital wing and Harry was never clear about the details but I know that he was victorious and he fought off Voldemort. And it wasn't Professor Snape, it was Professor Quirrell who was sharing his body with Voldemort, it's confusing, I know, but the stone was destroyed for good."

"When we entered our second year of schooling, strange things were happening around the castle, Harry was hearing voices and students were being petrified by a monster that was released from a hidden chamber. We discovered Harry was a Parselmouth, he could talk to snakes which is an extremely rare gift that's associated with dark magic, but the ability had transferred from Voldemort to Harry when he'd tried to kill him as a baby. It's confusing I know, just bear with me. Several people had been petrified and I don't mean scared. I mean frozen, you can't do anything. Blink, breathe, eat, sleep. All you could do was think and listen to everyone around you. You were frozen in time and space and the world was still moving around you. I'd finally figured out what the creature was, a basilisk; a twenty-foot long snake that kills with a single glance into your eyes but if you see its reflection it petrifies you. Myself, three fellow students, a ghost, -yes they're real- and a cat were all petrified. I was stuck like that for two months before the potion was finally administered to revive us. I discovered that Harry and Ron had found the hidden chamber and that Harry had killed the basilisk and rescued Ginny Weasley, who'd been possessed by the Heir of Slytherin."

"Who?" Seth asked confused.

"Let's back peddle a moment. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded over one thousand years ago by four of the brightest and most powerful witches and wizards. Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin was one of the very first blood supremacists; he wanted only those with Pureblood to be allowed to attend Hogwarts and learn to control their magic. The other three disagreed with him and Slytherin built a secret chamber in the castle that only he knew the location of but it was said to be a legend. There was a basilisk hidden in the chamber and its purpose was to kill Muggleborns."

"Voldemort was once known as Tom Riddle. His mother was a Pureblood witch, Merope Gaunt, and his father a wealthy muggle. His mother fell in love with his father and used a Love Potion to become the obsession of his father. They married and she got pregnant," Remus said.

"Understand this, there are Love Potions but they can _never_ mimic actual love. They cannot force the consumer to fall in love, all they do is cause infatuation and it soon wears off," Hermione said and they nodded.

"Merope believed that Riddle loved her and she stopped giving him the potion and when he discovered her magic and pregnancy, he threw her out and she gave birth and died in labour. Tom Riddle Junior, was raised in a muggle orphanage and one of the reasons as to why he hates muggles so much. He had never known love or hope, only destruction and hatred. The reason for my telling you this is the Gaunt line is a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. He _was_ the Heir of Slytherin and he was continuing his ancestor's work," Remus explained.

"Third year now," Hermione said. "This is the year I met Remus and Sirius. Remus was hired to be the Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts and he was the best Professor we've ever had," she said proudly, her mouth pulling into a smile when Remus looked embarrassed. "It was all over the news that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban and was on the run. We didn't know at the time that he was innocent and so we tried to protect Harry, believing that Sirius had escaped with the intentions of killing him. Over the course of the school year, we had a few incidences in the castle with sightings of Sirius and break-ins. Ron's rat went missing, I told you we had a falling out about that," she looked directly at the pack and they nodded slowly, recalling that conversation. "Crookshanks _really_ did have a dislike for the rat and it wasn't until one night in June that discovered why. Ron had been dragged away by a large black dog, who we didn't know was Sirius. We followed him and we discovered that Ron's rat -which had been in his family for twelve years- was actually Peter Pettigrew. He was an Animagus and alive and well. He cut off a finger and left it behind to fake his death. We were going to take him to the Ministry of Magic, that's our government, and have Sirius' name cleared, but it was a full moon," she explained, her eyes darting to Remus and they followed her gaze.

"We escaped before Remus could hurt us but the Ministry had dementors patrolling the school grounds in search for Sirius, they caught up with him and sucked out his soul. Harry and I travelled back in time -yes, you can travel back in time, Emmet, just not forward- and we saved his life. He had to remain as a fugitive and go into hiding but I spent weeks putting together a case of defence before I went before the Minister of Magic, our magical President, and the entire Wizengamont and I won his case. Sirius was a free man and his conviction was overturned," she trailed off, Remus smiling proudly and giving her hand a squeeze.

"When fourth year cropped up, everything went to hell as it was the year Voldemort returned to full power. There was a magical tournament and two other wizarding schools from Europe stayed with us at the castle, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Each school would have one contestant over the age of seventeen which would be chosen by magic to represent their school. Durmstrang's was Viktor Krum, my ex-boyfriend and he's one of the Wizarding World's most accomplished athletes."

Jacob and Paul released a growl and Edward snarled, she raised an eyebrow and everyone else looked amused.

"Beauxbaton's was Fleur Delacour and Hogwarts' was Cedric Diggory. Harry's name was chosen, someone had entered it without his knowledge. He and Ron argued for weeks over the incident and I was stuck in the middle. The first task, they had to retrieve a golden egg from a nest of eggs that were protected by a dragon. The second task, they had to retrieve the person they valued the most from the bottom of the Black Lake and they had an hour to do it. I was Viktor's." Growls and snarls sounded again. "The final task was a maze. I don't know what happened but Fleur was pulled out after being Stunned, Viktor had been Imperio'd and Harry returned with Cedric's dead body, screaming that Voldemort was back. It was discovered that our Defence Professor for that year was an imposter. We have a potion that allows you to take on the appearance of anyone you wish to and it was actually a Death Eater. For the entire school year, we'd been taught by a convicted murderer that fought in the First War beside Voldemort."

The room was silent.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 12

**Tu** **esday 7th October 2006**

"Onto my fifth year of schooling; the Ministry sent in a bitch, I mean witch," she corrected quickly and Remus snorted at her, sending her an amused glance. "Dumbledore and Harry were spreading the word of Voldemort's return, but the Ministry denied all knowledge and assured people he most certainly wasn't back. They were too far up their own arses to see the truth despite the evidence being placed before them; they were cowards, all of them. Knowing he wasn't going to receive the help he needed from the government, Dumbledore reinstated the Order of the Phoenix and secretly recruited under the radar, and the Ministry being afraid that Dumbledore was training his students to create an army, interfered with Hogwarts, ensuring we were only taught theory-based defence magic. With the threat of war on the horizon and our lack of practical defence lessons, Harry, Ron and I, along with the help of some of our friends, created our own secret organisation within the school, in which we learned and taught each other defensive magic as best as we could and given the circumstances, it was better than nothing. As the end of the school year neared, we were discovered by Dumbitch."

"You mean Umbridge?" Remus cocked an eyebrow, his mouth twitching at the corners.

"If that's what helps you sleep at night," she replied and he snorted, giving his head a shake. Sirius has had a far too big influence on her. "We were betrayed by a member of the group and as I cursed the signup parchment, we knew exactly who'd done it. The traitorous idiot has some lovely acne spelling out 'sneak' across her forehead. Anyway, Dumbledore was fired and was almost arrested but he was able to escape and Umbridge was made Headmistress, making everyone's life a living hell, particularly with her unusual and cruel punishments, some of which were illegal."

"After Harry had a vision of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort, he convinced us to leave for the Ministry so we could rescue him, but to do that we had to leave the school grounds without being caught, unfortunately, and as they rarely did, things didn't go to plan. We were captured by Umbridge and she threatened Harry with the Cruciatus, at which I led her into a trap which resulted in her being attacked by a giant and carried off by a heard of centaurs," she explained, no remorse in her tone or expression, and they each watched her cautiously, fearfully, Rosalie, however, looked amused.

"Before I knew it, we were at the Ministry and battling Death Eaters. I was struck with a curse which almost killed me," she muttered, thinking of the horrendous scar that all but cut her in half and she glanced briefly at the two shape-shifters and the vampire that released low, dangerous growls and snarls. "I woke in hospital, I was placed on bed rest for two months and I was given a regime of ten potions which had to be taken three times daily for three months. After a while, I was patched up but we'd lost Sirius, he'd died."

"He was just here," Alice frowned.

Hermione released a tired sigh. "Bellatrix Lestrange, our demented cousin who was a Black before she married, she has a talent for the Dark Arts, specifically the Cruciatus Curse which only seems fitting given how mentally unstable she is. She takes pleasure in harming others, in watching them suffer. The Order came to our rescue, Sirius battled her but after being distracted, a Killing Curse was thrown his way and although it missed, he fell through the Veil," she trailed off quietly, tears welling in her eyes.

"The Veil?" Rosalie asked with an uncharacteristically soft tone, seeing the sorrow-filled expression both she and Remus wore.

"It's the gateway between the living and the dead. He fell into the Underworld and we all thought he'd died. Remus and Harry struggled, we _all_ struggled, but when at the Order's base of operations which used to be Sirius' childhood home, I stumbled across something. The Blacks were known for dabbling in the Dark Arts and the Black Library comprised of hardly anything but rare, dark and illegal books, texts and tomes. After asking Remus to escort me to the Ministry, we snuck into the Death Chamber. I discovered that as Sirius was alive at the time he'd fallen into the Veil, there was a possibility I could pull him out, but to do so, I had to go in and get him," she whispered, a haunted look entering her eyes. "I have never seen anything like it. All I can remember is the screaming and burning and pain. Years have passed, but I've never forgotten and it won't allow me to."

Remus slipped his arm around her shoulders, gently tugging her into his side comfortingly and protectively.

"After the battle, Voldemort revealed himself and the Ministry had no choice but to admit he'd returned."

"Bet they looked like right tossers," Emmet snorted.

Hermione and Remus both nodded. "They played it off, claiming they'd known the entire time but had kept it from the public as to not cause panic. After that, everything just got worse. My sixth year was awful; we had an underage Death Eaters in the school following Voldemort's orders, which resulted in a student mistakenly being cursed by a necklace that very nearly killed her, a necklace that had been meant for Dumbledore, the only man that Voldemort feared. Ron was poisoned by a bottle of mead and if it weren't for Harry's quick thinking, he'd had died, again, it had been meant for Dumbledore. By the end of the school year, Death Eaters were smuggled into the castle via a hidden room and passageway, the younger students were locked in their common rooms and the older students fought to protect the castle the best we could. When the Order arrived, it was too late and Voldemort succeeded in his plan. Dumbledore was murdered by Professor Snape who we'd believed to have been on our side. He _was_ , but we didn't know that he and Dumbledore had planned Dumbledore's death together, it all being a plot to win the war but at that time we thought he'd betrayed us."

"The final year of the war was the worst and we didn't return to school as Voldemort had taken over Hogwarts, only Purebloods and Half-bloods were allowed to attend, they had to be able to prove their lineage and Death Eaters were put in teaching positions. After Voldemort took control of the Ministry, warrants were put out for the arrest of _all_ Muggleborns and blood traitor's so they could be killed. Harry, Ron and I were given a mission that if completed, would see the end of the war and the destruction of Voldemort. Through a truly horrendous form of magic, one that had been wiped from existence due to its crimes against nature, we'd discovered he'd achieved immortality and he was all but indestructible."

"Voldemort had fractured his soul seven times and each broken fragment had been sealed inside an object for its protection, and these were extremely difficult to destroy, not that we knew _how_ to at the time, _where_ they were, _what_ they were or _how_ many there were. We later discovered they could be destroyed by basilisk venom which is a very rare ingredient, the Sword of Gryffindor which had absorbed the venom after Harry had killed one years prior, or fiendfyre, which is uncontrollable and said to be possessed by demons. We had no access to either of these methods."

"We survived for the better part of a year in the wilderness, moving campsites every couple of days, running from snatchers and Death Eaters, our supplies dwindled down until we barely had any food and we survived on whatever we could find or catch. We'd found one of his objects and the dark magic that protects them, they infect your mind, play on your worse fears and insecurities, change your behaviour. All the odds were against us and morale was at an all-time low, Ron and Harry had an argument and Ron walked outandf left us, after which everything went belly-up. Harry and I found ourselves walking into a trap and I had to push us out of a two-story window so we could escape. When Ron returned, he had the Sword of Gryffindor and the destroyed object, and though I was furious with him for abandoning us, it gave us hope that maybe we could actually destroy Him. And then I faced one of the darkest, most painful times of my life. We were captured and taken to their base of operations..." Tears streamed down her face, seeming to come from out of nowhere as if she'd been holding them back and the dam had suddenly burst. "I can't, Remus, I can't talk about it," she sobbed heartbrokenly, doubling over on herself and he pulled her against him and hugged her tighter, muttering soothing words against her ear.

The room was silent as the shape-shifters and vampires stared in surprise; none of them having seen her cry before, especially as she was now, looking very much like a broken doll. But in particular, three teenagers looked to be in agony as they watched her, their bodies tense and hands fisted tightly.

A ruckus sounded from outside before a large black dog bounded into the tent, darting to Hermione where he jumped up on the couch beside her and rested his front paws and head against her lap, whines and whimpers sounding from him.

"You don't have to do this," Remus mumbled, tucking her head beneath his chin and his hand rubbing comfortingly over her upper arm.

"I do, it'll haunt me forever if I don't," she sobbed.

"Okay," he said softly. "Why don't we play your memories so you don't have to explain anything further?" He suggested and she agreed with a nod, a sniffle and a hiccup.

Pulling back slightly, Remus held the tip of his wand against her temple, muttering beneath his breath until he pulled his hand back, revealing a white and stringy misty-smoke.

"What is that?" Edward asked, his concerned expression darting between it and Hermione's small form wedged between the large dog and the werewolf.

"Her memories, we're able to remove memories, store them and then watch them at a later date so we may share them with others."

"That's amazing," Carlisle muttered in wonder.

Remus flicked his wrist and the misty-smoke gently floated to the centre of the room before a large screen appeared, the first memory starting once he'd lowered his wand.

_Hermione was half escorted, half dragged into a large room that was clear of all furniture except for a rug and a chandelier that hung above. She didn't look well, cuts and bruises marring her face, her skin not her usual ivory colour but rather a sickly grey, her hair tangled and knotted and her cheekbones sticking out with dark bruises beneath her eyes._

_Two teenage boys stood behind her, one's face was swollen beyond recognition, his eyes hidden by the glasses perched on his nose, his hair dark and messy, littered with debris and foliage. The second boy looked to be in better condition, his taller frame pale with freckles, his dark eyes furious, his nose broken and his lip split._

_Four figures stood in the room, three tall blondes, two males and the other female and the final figure was the most frightening with her jet black hair knotted far worse than Hermione's, rotten yellow teeth, a cruel crooked smile and a murderous glint to her dark eyes._

_After the two teenage boys were escorted to the dungeons, the Sword of Gryffindor had been discovered, Hermione was thrown to the ground, the dark-haired woman crouching over her body as she gripped her hair tightly and sneered in her face._

_"The Sword, how did you get it?" She demanded._

_"I don't know,"_

_"How did you get into my vault!"_

_"I didn't,"_

_"Liar," she sneered, releasing her grip on her hair before stepping back and muttering a "Crucio," with a deranged smile on her face._

_Hermione screamed and writhed against the floor, the curse being held for a couple of minutes before she was released and slumped against the ground, sobbing._

_"Answer me!"_

_"I haven't been in your vault. The Sword's a fake. It's just a fake."_

They looked between the Hermione on the screen and the Hermione curled up in a ball as she cried into her father's chest and the large dog that was wrapped around her protectively, low growls rumbling in his chest as his grey eyes watched the screen in disgust.

Jacob and Paul growled lowly, Edward snarled, their eyes held on the screen before them, their gazes murderous, their frames tense. Seeing the two shape-shifters' bodies shaking, Jasper focused his attention on sending waves of calm sweeping through the occupants of the room.

"It's just a memory," Esme reminded them softly, an expression held on her face that spoke of her sadness and tears that would be falling if she were capable of crying.

Alice had buried her head against Jasper's shirt, not wishing to witness anything further and Rosalie was pulled into Emmet's side, a horrified expression held in her eyes and the usual joyous smile that had a permanent place on Emmet's face was gone, a frown pulling at his brow and his jaw ticked. Carlisle, the kind soul that he was, looked to Hermione with an expression of guilt, feeling guilty that she'd had to experience such trials and that she'd suffered with such a trying childhood, despite him having no part of it.

Jasper observed in sadness, he'd known of her being a soldier and he didn't doubt there were plenty of things she was keeping from them and he couldn't blame her for it. He couldn't help but glance towards her proudly and admiringly; despite the torture and the suffering, she'd yet to reveal anything to the madwoman that was slowly killing her.

Paul and Jacob's tense forms shook but with Jasper's influence, it wasn't yet to the level where there was no turning back. Leah, the usually stoic woman, had tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. She hadn't spent much time with Hermione, having only met her once before, but she admitted that she'd prejudged her, believing she was like the other imprintees of the pack, namely Emily and Kim. She understood why the wolves respected her. They'd been adamant that she was different from other humans but none of them had expected the reasoning behind it to be her being a witch, a wolf and soldier that had fought a war.

In that moment, Sam's mistrust of the young girl all but vanished, understanding that she'd had a hard time growing up, being raised as a soldier and fighting for her survival for years. He'd a childhood before he'd come into his heritage, he'd had a life. Jared, Quil and Embry held sickly, horrified expressions, all of them haven taken an instant liking to Hermione when she'd thrown back that ingenious comment at Paul the day they'd met at the diner. After everything they knew of her and everything they continued to learn, they knew she was an incredibly strong person. She'd have to be to survive everything she had. Seth clung to his sister's hand, refusing to let go as he forced back to the tears that threatened to overwhelm him, but his vision was blurred as his eyes watered.

They weren't quite sure how long they watched the torture but it can't have been more than a few minutes, and they suspected most of it had been edited out as the screen would often blackout and then resurface, showing Hermione in a different position to where she'd been before.

_As Hermione lay sprawled on the ground, looking like a broken doll, her jacket sleeve was lifted and the tip of a knife was pressed into her skin, a blood-curdling scream ripping from her already burning throat. When the madwoman stepped back, it was to reveal 'Mudblood' having been carved into her bleeding arm, the ugly word marring her soft skin._

_Doors were thrown open, beams of light ricocheted in every direction and Hermione was dragged to her feet, an arm wrapped around her neck to keep her still and a knife held against her throat._

_"STOP OR SHE DIES! Drop your wands. Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is! I said, drop them!_ "

" _All right!_ " _The black-haired boy called, his expression furious but concerned._

" _Good! Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches! Now... Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss. Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight._ "

Their already horrified expressions worsened when a large hairy man with ragged clothing and long yellow like talons, approached Hermione, but a chandelier unexpectedly fell from above, and when the smoke and dust cleared, Hermione and the two teenage boys were gone.

The memory faded to a black screen, the only sound in the room being Hermione's heartbroken sobs, Leah's sniffle as she wiped her face with the back of her hand, and Padfoot's whimpers.

"What's a Mudblood?" Rosalie asked quietly.

"It's a derogatory name for Muggleborns, meaning they are filth, abominations, unworthy of magic and life. Hermione's more powerful than half of the inbred bastards could ever hope to be," Remus growled and his eyes flashed amber, his wolf breaking through to the surface for the moment and they all stared in surprise at the display. "Purebloods are inbred, their magic weakening with each generation. They have an eighty-seven percent chance of producing a Squib child and that's _if_ they're fertile or are able to carry to full-term. Most Pureblood families only have one child with the exception of the Weasleys who had seven, but they've always been a fertile bunch."

When the large screen flashed with colour, they turned their eyes forward and silently watched as the memories played out; breaking into a bank, stealing Hufflepuff's Cup, escaping on the back of the dragon, and then the Final Battle approached.

If you'd asked them what they'd witnessed they wouldn't be able to explain it. They'd seen death and life, pain and suffering. Good and Evil. Dark and Light. There was a clear divide between the two sides. Hermione and her friends had rescued three boys that had tried to kill them and saved their lives. They were the good witches and wizards.

They'd never seen anything remotely similar to the battles and duels that were playing out before them, almost seeming to be a scene from an action movie or war documentary, and they couldn't believe the world she came from after seeing the magical creatures that roamed the battlefield.

They could see how powerful her spells were compared to some of her enemies, decades of inbreeding weakening theirs while hers only grew stronger. As the battle raged on, the number of casualties and bodies increased and they could do nothing but watch in sadness as Hermione sobbed over the dead bodies of several redheads, as she screamed their names in anguish, not caring that she was in the middle of a battle.

They saw the moment that her black-haired friend, Harry, was brought to the gathered fighters, lifeless, the expressions falling to disbelief, horror, fear, despair, as realisation sunk in that they'd lost. And that would've been the case had Harry not jumped from the arms of the large man carrying him, coming back from the dead and drawing Voldemort into one final duel. Everyone seemed to realise that it wasn't yet over and fought valiantly until there was an explosion and both Voldemort and Harry fell to the floor dead.

As the screen faded to black and disappeared, Hermione's sobs having died down and now being replaced with little hiccups and sniffles, no one knew what to say. The large dog lifted his head from Hermione's lap, stood and jumped off the couch, padding out of the room and down the corridor, only to return moments later, now in his human form and his arms laden with several bottles of a strange orange liquid and three tumblers.

He placed them down on the glass table, took a seat beside Hermione and reached over, removing the lid from a bottle and pouring a generous amount into the three tumblers, handing one to Hermione and Remus and taking his own as he leaned back into the couch.

Silently and in unison, they all lifted the tumbler to their mouth, sipped at the liquid and winced, smoke escaping from their mouths when they exhaled.

"What's that?" Jared questioned, breaking the silence in the tense room.

"Fire whiskey, you want some?" Sirius answered with a cocked eyebrow.

"Underage," he shrugged.

"I hardly doubt that stops you," he said knowingly. "In the Wizarding World, you come of age once you reach your seventeenth birthday. And anyway, I've been drinking this stuff since I was thirteen." Esme looked scandalised at the news. "What?" He asked innocently. "How else do you think I survived so long with my dragon-shit crazy mother? It's the only thing that helped to dull the pain of punishment."

Esme's gaze softened at his words and Sirius waved his wand, summoning some glasses from the kitchen before he poured a small amount of fire whiskey into each one, gesturing for them to take one.

"You're not in the Wizarding World," Jared gestured to Hermione.

"No, but I'm _near_ a magical community. There's one in Seattle. If you're nice to me I'll take you for a visit. You'd love it. You think this is good," she gestured around the tent distractedly as she nursed her fire whiskey, "You haven't seen anything yet."

As one, they all lifted their glasses to their lips and took a drink, a chorus of coughs, winces and groans sounding.

"That's disgusting," Seth commented with a grimace, eyeing his glass as though the contents might kill him and he set it on the table and pushed it away from him, deciding he definitely didn't like it or want any more.

"As I said, I've been drinking this stuff since I was thirteen," Sirius shrugged, downing the contents of his tumbler without issue before pouring himself another.

" _Accio_ butterbeer," Hermione said with a flick of her wand, several bottles soaring from the kitchen and settling on the table. "You'll prefer this, I, however, need something stronger." She gestured to the bottles and they eyed them warily before reaching out for them and tentatively taking a sip, pleased noises sounding from them.

"It's weird, I feel all warm inside," Embry said with a slight frown.

"That's what it does, warms you up from the inside. It's got alcohol in it but you'll have to drink a fair few to feel it. We're allowed to drink it from the age of thirteen and we can buy it in pubs," Hermione explained, downing the rest of her tumbler without incidence as Sirius had and he poured her another as they stared between the two of them, wondering how they were able to do such a thing when they'd only taken a small sip and felt as though they'd eaten fire.

Getting herself more comfortable and leaning back into the couch, she sipped from her tumbler before saying, "Questions, go,"

" _Why_ are you in hiding? From what we saw your war's over," Jared asked.

"Voldemort _is_ dead, but the war isn't over, not until the majority of the Death Eaters that fled are captured. The most dangerous are Dolohov, Malfoy, the Lestranges, Umbridge, Yaxley, Greyback and the Carrow Twins. With them out in the world, no one will be safe and we will never experience peace."

"Why are you in hiding?" Quil repeated.

"I'm the only surviving member of 'The Golden Trio'. Harry, Ron and I were the symbols of the light and now they're dead, I'm their Undesirable Number One and they won't stop until they find me. I should be out there, helping with the search but they sent me away for my protection. I know this won't last long and they'll find me eventually. We did a lot of travelling before arriving here, ensuring that we left a trail with our magical signature."

"Magical signature?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"It's like fingerprints, blood, DNA. It's our identity and we can be traced by it. We travelled magically and before we came here we used muggle transportation. We didn't even know this was our final destination, it'd been sealed in an envelope that could only be opened on the time and date specified. They will find me and they will kill me but I won't go down without a fight. They've killed a lot of people that I loved and I may never see the ones that survived again. I've a lot of pent up anger and I'm saving it for anyone that comes looking. We've given ourselves a few months at least."

"When they come, and they _will_ , we need to protect her," Sirius said, glancing at Hermione protectively.

"We'll help," the Cullens and pack chorused unintentionally, turning to glare at one another and Remus chuckled.

"I thought you'd say that."

"And the answer is a definitive no," Hermione scowled. "You've no idea what you're up against and I won't allow you to get hurt because of me. Not to mention you've your own lives to deal with, vampires to kill and whatnot."

"You're a part of our life now and we'll help to protect you. You show us and we'll learn," Sam said.

Hermione sighed, her mouth opening as she prepared to argue further, only Remus interrupted.

"Hermione, they're not going to back down. Take it from an Alpha, we're stubborn as hell."

Hermione muttered a foreign language beneath her breath before reaching up to push her hair back from her face and sipping from her tumbler.

"When I'm not at school or with any of you, I'm training. You'll have to come to our training sessions so you may see what it is you're up against. And since you're helping us, we might be able to help you with your patrols."

"Really? How?" Embry asked intrigued.

"Just as we've done with the tent, we can erect a series of barriers around some areas of La Push, unfortunately, due to the sheer size of your land and territory, we can't protect the entirety of it, but we can shorten your search perimeters. We'll make the wards specific to the vampire race, and if a vampire were to enter your territory, it'll set off the alarm and activate the defences. In this case, I believe fireballs would be most appropriate," she explained and they glanced to each other, clearly impressed. "It'll take a day or two, depending on the areas you'd like us to work our magic on and we'll have to erect the wards at regular intervals so we don't drain our magical cores, but it's doable. Any more questions?"

"Why'd the Doc call you Lord Black?" Jacob asked, looking directly to Sirius.

"You take this one, Snowflake," Sirius told her, being too busy focusing his attention on downing his fire whiskey and then pouring himself another one.

"The Blacks are a part of the Sacred Twenty-eight, we're essentially magical royalty and we're the second wealthiest family in Europe. Carlisle has heard of us because the House of Black is known in the Muggle World. However, no one's ever _seen_ us so our identities are kept secret. Sirius is the only surviving heir to the House of Black which makes him Lord Black."

"Which makes Hermione, Lady Black, and she's the wealthiest witch in Europe," Sirius shrugged.

They stared at her speechless, their eyes wide and mouths parted, some of them even spluttered and had to take a drink from their butterbeers.

"How?" Jared choked.

"I'll inherit the Black family wealth and titles. Harry was my best friend, my little brother in everything but blood. The Potters were the third wealthiest family in Europe, Harry was the only surviving member of House Potter and when he died, he left the entire Potter family wealth to me."

"Just how wealthy are we talking?" Embry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We have a different currency in the Wizarding World. One galleon is equivalent to just under five dollars."

She waved her wand and her beaded bag flew over to her, which she slipped her hand inside until she found her money pouch and she removed a handful of coins, putting them on the table for everyone to see.

"Five galleons is equivalent to almost twenty-five dollars," she said and they nodded in understanding. "When we left England, Sirius removed one million galleons and that's nowhere near the forty million he has in his vaults and that's not including the properties and deeds."

Embry promptly spat out the butterbeer he'd just taken a drink of and he choked as the others stared at her dumbfounded, even the Cullen's who'd amassed quite the fortune over the decades seemed to be struggling with the revelation.

"That's two hundred _million_ dollars," Paul muttered, his eyes darting between her and Sirius.

"It is," she nodded in agreement. "I've no idea how much the Potters are worth but they can't be far behind the Blacks. Any more questions?"

"Your parents," Alice said quietly. "You didn't mention them."

Sadness filled her expression. "They died my sixth year and that's when Sirius adopted me, Remus would've too but he's a werewolf and it's illegal."

"How did they die?" Seth asked her.

"They were murdered," she replied, several intakes of breath being heard. "Death Eaters got to them and I found their bodies three days before Christmas. They were tortured and slaughtered, they never would've survived even with magical healing."

"How do you communicate with others?" Carlisle asked.

She smiled slightly, being grateful for the change in topic and one that was safe for her.

"Many ways, we use owls to send letters, we can use the floo connection or if you're capable of conjuring a Patronus, messages can be sent through that," Hermione answered. "By using the floo connection, you're essentially making a video call. And a Patronus is a very difficult charm, one of the most difficult charms to cast for that matter, and for that reason, many don't even attempt it. It was preferred that anyone who joined the Order during the Second War were able to conjure a Patronus."

"Why?" Embry asked.

"The Patronus Charm can't be successfully cast by any dark magic practitioner, and if they were to attempt it, maggots would be conjured and they'd eat the caster alive. The Patronus is a charm of the light; it's pure and good. It's a part of you, of your soul, your magic; it's your spirit animal. They also defend and protect against dementors and they can be used for companionship. Given the extreme difficulty, it can take a long while to master it."

"It took me two years," Remus nodded.

"Took me a year," Sirius injected.

"And it took me a little over six months," Hermione spoke.

"So why don't you have a cell phone?" Paul asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't joking when I said I have a magical force field around me that hates technology. Any technology that is around magic will automatically stop functioning or break. Mobile phones, radios, computers, radars, microwaves, anything that requires electricity or radio waves really. It can't and won't work. But we don't need it."

"Do you drive or fly on planes?" Seth asked.

"No, we don't need to. We fly on brooms, we can floo, we can port-key and we can apparate. When flooing you're able to travel from one destination to another, as long there is a working floo connection. Apparition is basically teleportation and it's good for short-distance travel, but you do have to have a license and as long as there are no Anti-apparition wards in place, you're fine to travel. And port-keying is also teleportation but it's used for long-distance travel. You can travel from England to Australia in a matter of minutes."

"Wow," he muttered with a shake of his head.

"What are those based on?" Jasper gestured to the books.

"Everything you could think of. Muggle Literature and Sciences, Wizarding History, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions, Arithmancy, Magical Law, Magical Creatures and Beings, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Healing and Medicine, Dark Arts, Ancient Runes, Astronomy and Divination. There's a few other subjects but I can't remember them all," she shrugged. "With Sirius being under this roof, everything needs to be warded for safety," she said, glancing at him as though he were a child that had done something wrong, he responded with an innocent smile, Remus rolled his eyes and they laughed at them.

"How did you know that I can read minds and Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions?" Edward asked, his golden eyes holding her gaze.

"Now that's easy; on the first day of school I could feel a presence in my mind and I erected my mental barriers to block you. When I searched for the culprit, I saw you and ever since, I'd feel the same probing sensation whenever you were nearby." He had the grace to look sheepish. "And Jasper's ability was obvious. I'd come to realise that he seemed to be affected by my mood and I know it was him that calmed me when suffering from flashbacks during classes."

"Why can't I read your minds? I can read the minds of everyone in here, except, for the three of you."

"It's a branch of magic called Occlumency," Sirius offered, pouring Hermione her third helpings of fire whiskey for the night whilst he had his fourth and Remus was still on his first. "It's difficult to learn and master but it allows us to block our thoughts, protecting them from outside influences. Snowflake's a lot better at it than we are. If you were persistent enough, you'd be able to break through my defences, as well as Remus'. You'd definitely have a harder time with Hermione, her mental barriers are far stronger than ours."

"There's another branch of magic known as Legilimency, and it's the opposite. It allows us to read through a person's thoughts and we can do it without you knowing. We're better at it than Hermione," Remus explained, declining Sirius' offer of a top-up on his fire whiskey with a wave of his hand.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Alice asked, looking a little hurt.

"Safety, I couldn't be sure if you were working for anyone or not. We were sent here by the Order and it was supposed to be safe. I'm here not even a week and I find a family of vampires, what was I supposed to think? It was one hell of a coincidence. I faced vampires in the war, I watched from a distance as one drained the blood from my friend and then they ripped his body into pieces and laughed. It's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, you didn't tell me you were vampires either, it doesn't matter that I already knew."

"I can't believe you're a wolf," Rosalie muttered.

"Not a mutt?" Hermione cocked an eyebrow.

"You don't smell like them. They smell like wet dog. You smell like flowers and puppies. Your fathers smell similar to you only more masculine, like dirt."

"So I smell like a dog that's taken a bath?" She surmised and they snorted.

"Pretty much," she agreed.

"Lovely," she rolled her eyes. "But, it's getting late and you should all head home. I need to check on Remus' injuries, they're taking longer to heal than usual due to them being self-inflicted," Hermione explained. "Wolves, you can take any leftover food with you, Cullens, you can take the Dragon Pops."

The Cullens left first and Hermione followed the pack out of the tent.

"Before you go I need a drop of your blood."

"Why?" Sam asked warily.

"For the wards, you won't be able to find us again and you won't be able to get through the wards without me, Remus or Sirius. If you're going to be training with us, you're going to be here a lot so I'll give you permanent access to the wards. You'll be able to walk on through without issue, and if you're out patrolling late and you can't be bothered going home to rest, you can stay with us, we've a spare bedroom."

"You're awesome," Seth grinned and she laughed lightly, giving her head a shake.

After giving them instructions, they formed a line and Hermione went along, making small incisions on their index fingers; she knew she had to be quick given how fast they healed.

"Are the leeches doing this, too?" Quil questioned.

"No, as they're dead and don't bleed, it's impossible and they'll have to be escorted through the wards," she answered. They looked far too pleased with that information. "And please don't call them that, we're all working together here. If I have to spend my time babysitting and running interference rather than training, I'll hex every one singe one of your arses," she promised and the nodded slowly, nervous, frightened looks crossing their faces. "Okay everyone, wipe your blood on the ground."

When they kneeled and pressed their index fingers into the cold, damp ground, Hermione muttered beneath her breath as she slowly paced back and forth, her wand moving in intricate patterns. A sudden bright blue light rose from the ground, circling each of them before Hermione pressed the tip of her wand against the wards and the light burst like a silent firework.

"It's done, you now have access. You can come here anytime you want to, for rest, food, training, to annoy Sirius," she smiled and they laughed at her. "My point is, this is as much your home as it is mine."

"Why are you doing this for us?" Leah asked her, genuinely surprised by her offerings.

"You're putting yourselves in danger to help me and this is the only way I can think of repaying you. And, believe it or not, as a shape-shifter, you belong more to my world than you do in this one. It's only fair that I share with you what I have. And remember, you can't tell _anyone_ about us or magic."

"The Council, our families, girlfriends?" Sam frowned.

"No, they're Muggles. My fathers and I can be sent to Azkaban if our secret is revealed to muggles. You're allowed to know because you're shape-shifters and the Cullens are vampires, both are found in the Wizarding World. It doesn't matter that they're your relatives, girlfriends or the leaders of your Tribe; it'll be breaking the law and the consequences are severe, especially when we're still fighting. Also, forget about the blood wards, too."

"What?" Quil said confused.

"Blood wards, they're what's protecting the tent. They're an extremely dangerous and archaic form of magic but it's considered grey at best. Old Pureblood families use them to stop unwanted guests from entering their property. They're a pain in the arse to dismantle, the longer they're in place, the stronger they get. By tying your blood into the wards, only you will have access. It's illegal to use blood wards."

"It seems _everything_ you do is illegal," Paul pointed out with a smirk.

"I've been fighting a war for the last seven years and it's still not over. I'll never be safe, there will always be people that hate me for my blood. If I have to use illegal measures to keep my family safe, I will."

They all contemplated her words before they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, all lost in their own thoughts.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Wednesday 8th October 2006**

Hermione'd had another nightmare. She knew it would be one of the worst she'd ever had and she'd been right. Talking about the war, about her life and past trials, had brought back memories she'd long since buried and she was powerless to stop them from haunting her as she slept.

She'd woken screaming, tears falling down her face, her body slick with sweat, but no one came running. She'd placed a Silencing Charm around Remus and Sirius' bedroom after they'd fallen asleep, not only to prevent them from hearing outside influences that may have woken them when they needed their sleep, especially with Remus still healing, but sometimes she needed to have a moment to herself.

Turning onto her side, her eyes automatically locked on the potion vial that sat on her bedside table, begging, daring her to take it. She knew she shouldn't, she'd already ingested her allotted once a month dosage and the chances of her addiction resurfacing were exceptionally high, but despite knowing that, she was powerless; she had no control of her thoughts or body and her hand slowly reached for the vial. Before her fingertips touched the vial, the creaking of floorboards had her head snapping towards the doorway, where a large silver-grey wolf stood, dark eyes trained on her.

~000~000~000~

It was the early hours of the morning when Paul was patrolling the borderlines of La Push. It'd only been a few hours since he'd learned Hermione's secrets, of her being a witch, a wolf _and_ a soldier that had fought in a war and was now in hiding until her enemies found her and she'd fight for her life.

Paul didn't know what it was about her or why, but he was drawn to her. Usually, all it took was a single glance and girls all but dropped their underwear for him. But Hermione was different. She kept him on his toes, she challenged him, she didn't lose brain cells when he smiled at her, she didn't fall for his compliments, usually teasingly insulting him in return. She hadn't been joking about English Roses having thorns; she was a massive thorn in his side.

No matter what he did or how hard he tried, no matter the distractions or the silence, he couldn't stop thinking about her. When she was nearby, he didn't feel angry or alone, he felt in control. She had an unexplainable calming effect on him and it was refreshing. Since she'd walked into his life he hadn't so much as glanced at another girl, she'd killed his sex life, something that certainly hadn't gone unnoticed by his packmates.

He'd all but marked her as his and the pack knew that and then Jacob imprinted on her, the only girl to have burrowed her way under his skin and wormed her way into his heart. Jacob was a packmate, a brother to him, and he knew the strain it would put on their relationship, the rift it would cause in the pack, the pain it would inflict upon Jacob if he were to continue pursuing Hermione, but he just couldn't stop. He couldn't comprehend the thought of _not_ being with her.

He was almost convinced he'd imprinted on her himself, except he knew it wasn't possible. As much as he wished it was, it wasn't. Jacob had claimed her as his, whether she knew it or not, whether he hated it or not, which he most certainly did.

He'd just finished up his patrols and switched off with Embry and he slowly made his way home for the night. They always did several laps of the La Push boundary lines but sometimes they'd cross over into Forks, just to be sure there wasn't anything lurking nearby. That was why he was padding through the woods of Forks and as he passed through a familiar clearing, he quickly realised exactly where he was, approximately half a mile from where he knew Hermione lived in a magical tent, something he was still trying to wrap his head around.

As he turned and headed for the boundary lines to cross back over to Quileute territory, a blood-curdling scream tore through the silent woods, ringing loudly and startling the birds in the trees. He recognised it instantly, having been forced to witness the cause in the little curly-haired witch's memories.

It was almost as if his mind was detached from his body as he sprinted through the woods, bounding over fallen tree branches, his paws hitting the floor with dull thuds and rustles of leaves, it taking a few moments for his brain to catch up with his body's movement as he headed for Hermione's tent, running faster than he ever had before, panic and fear filling his chest like it never had before and distracting him from his burning lungs.

Had someone hurt her? Had her enemies found her?

He skidded to a stop when he saw the tent, feeling a cool tingling sensation washing over him and briefly being glad that he didn't witness any of the defence mechanisms Hermione had said were protecting the tent. The screams had quieted but he could still hear the cries and hiccups coming from inside and not being certain if the attacker was still there, he cautiously and quietly approached, stepping through the flaps and into the tent.

The living room was dark, the only light coming from the lit fireplace that looked to be dying out but giving his eyesight, he found it wasn't an issue for him. His eyes scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of someone hiding in the shadows or that someone had been there, but there was no overturned or broken furniture, everything was how he remembered it.

Turning his eyes to the corridor he assumed would lead to the bedrooms and bathroom, he approached as quietly as he could, being surprised that he had plenty of room for movement despite his large size and frame. He reached the first door on the right and it being closed, he sniffed at it, finding a few lingering scents but it was empty and had been for a while. He crossed to the second door on the left, recoiling in disgust at the myriad of smells that seemed to fill every inch of the room and he definitely didn't want to know what was behind the closed door.

The door furthest to the back of the corridor held two different scents which he recognised as belonging to Hermione's fathers. That just left one door and it wasn't closed like the others, this one was left ajar. Inhaling deeply, he let out an inward sigh of relief when he picked up only three scents, two weaker scents that belonged to Hermione's fathers, and the third one much stronger and belonging to Hermione. Hearing the sniffles and hiccups, he closed the distance and nudged the door open wider with his nose, slowly stepping into the room and the sight that met him all but broke his heart.

Hermione's face was red and puffy, her eyes bloodshot, sweat slicked at her pale skin and she was physically shaking. When she noticed his presence after a creaking floorboard gave him away, she'd been reaching for a small vial that sat on her bedside table.

"Paul?" She whispered in surprise, her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, seeming to collect herself as she took a calming breath. "Paul, please don't let me drink this, stop me, I can't do this again."

He tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy.

" _Please_ stop me," she said, desperation lacing her tone, her eyes begging him. "I can't fail Sirius and Remus, not again. Please stop me, I'm barely controlling myself." Her eyes screwed tightly shut and he could see her outstretched arm shaking, her face pained as though she were battling with her inner demons for control of her actions.

He slowly crossed the room and over to her, seeing her rigid frame and clenched jaw, and his cold nose brushed against her hand, her eyes opening in surprise as their gazes locked. He nudged the vial further from her reach before opening his mouth and taking the vial from the bedside table, dropping it to the floor until it smashed against the floorboards, the red liquid forming a puddle and the glass littering the ground.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered.

He couldn't help himself and _needing_ to comfort her, he didn't wait for an invitation as he jumped onto her bed, laid down on his stomach with his legs tucked beneath him and his head resting on his front paws, his large form taking up most of the queen-sized mattress. He was a little surprised when she shuffled closer to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his fur, something he was sure she likely did with her shape-shifting father, something that was familiar and comforting for her. At her proximity, her basically hugging him as if he were a teddy bear, he felt his wolf calming, a strange humming-purring rumbling in his chest, a sound he'd never before heard or made.

With her comforting presence and his exhaustion from the long day and his recently finished patrols, he found himself dozing off. He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep but Hermione's voice flittered to his ears, waking him from a peaceful slumber as she said,

"Paul, my bathroom's through that door," she whispered, untangling herself from him and shifting until she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling silently.

Paul, understanding what she wished from him, jumped off her bed and padded into the bathroom, stepping back through a few moments later wearing his shoes and blue jeans that cut off at the knee. Hermione didn't bat an eyelash at him being without his shirt, being so used to seeing all of the pack members in the same manner.

Hesitantly, Paul approached the bed and then perched on the edge of the mattress. Hermione turned to face him and after seeing the expression on her face and she tapped the space beside her, he shifted until he was lying beside her and facing her, making sure his feet still partially hung off the bed, not wanting to dirty the blankets with his muddy shoes.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, not being sure if she'd actually answer him and she had every right not to do so.

She released a heavy sigh and her eyes closed. "Memories, I can't escape them, I'm forced to face them every night but tonight was worse. Not only did I remember everything but I could _feel_ everything, too. Every curse that struck me, the crippling pain as another member of my family died, the fear, the sadness, the despair. _Everything_ ," she whispered, a tear leaking from the corner of her eye.

"Why didn't your fathers hear you? I heard you from half a mile away."

"Silencing Charm, we can cast spells that prevent people from listening in to conversations, some prevent sound from leaving and others prevent sound from entering. I placed one around their room, not wishing to disturb them as they both need their sleep and Remus is still healing, otherwise they would be here now. Once a month, the night after the full moon, I take a Dreamless Sleep Potion so they can rest."

"Dreamless Sleep Potion?"

"It allows you to get a full night's rest without any thoughts, memories or nightmares to plague you. You don't dream, just get a relaxing sleep."

He felt himself being impressed by such a thing. He knew there were sleeping pills people could take, but a potion that prevented nightmares? He hadn't realised how advanced Hermione's world was until that moment, and if they could do that, what else could they do?

"Is that the stuff you told me to take off you?" He questioned and she nodded. "Why?"

"I'm only allowed it once a month; it's addictive if used regularly and irresponsibly."

He frowned, remembering her words about not wishing to fail her fathers and he understood there was more to the situation than met the eye.

"What happened, Hermione?" He asked quietly, knowing she was keeping secrets and being curious if she would open up to him. At the sight of the tears slowly trailing her cheeks, his frown deepened and he felt himself growing worried, his wolf unsettled.

"When Voldemort died and the battle ended, I lost my way, I was broken. We'd lost Harry, Ron, Ginny, Percy, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Seamus, Dean, they all died. I don't know what happened to Fred and I haven't seen my friends that survived in months, for all I know, they could all be dead now," she whispered, her tears falling with more force and his stomach twisted uncomfortably, already not liking the turn the conversation had taken. "I'm ashamed to say, I couldn't cope. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, I didn't talk; I was an empty shell and the person I once was, was gone, I'd lost myself. Eventually, the sleep deprivation got the best of me and I did something, something I'm not proud of," she confessed, her voice so quiet had it not been for his hearing he wouldn't have heard her speak at all.

"What did you do?" He questioned hesitantly.

He wished he hadn't asked.

"I tried to kill myself," she whispered. A horrified expression crossed his face, his stomach twisting painfully, his heart constricting in his chest. "I ingested a Blood-Root Potion, it's a fatal poison. Remus found me and he took me to St Mungo's. It's only the second time I saw Sirius cry and the first for Remus. The medi-witches wanted to put me on the psychiatric ward but Remus and Sirius refused, as did the Order, and I was taken home where they took care of me and kept me under constant supervision, they were so afraid that I'd make a second attempt on my life, that they barely let me out of their sight, there was always someone with me and I was barely allowed to the bathroom alone. With them being around me more often than I was used to, I saw the worry and pain I'd caused them, and that hurt me more than I ever could've imagined. Not being able to take the nightmares or the sleep deprivation, I ingested Dreamless Sleep Potions every night and as I was using them so frequently, I became addicted."

"I'd done it because I wanted to get better but I couldn't do that until I was free of the memories and I was well-rested, but my intentions backfired. It was so bad, Sirius and Remus considered admitting me to St. Mungo's. I knew I had to get better, not only for them, but for me, too. It took a while and after one of the most trying and painful ordeals I've ever faced, I broke my addiction. I started eating, I put on weight, we began training and researching, tagging along on missions and raids, giving me something useful to do, giving me a purpose and keeping me distracted. They pulled me back together. If I'd have taken that potion tonight after already ingesting my single monthly dose, I would've found myself addicted. So, thank you for stopping me, Paul."

Paul stared at her, his eyes wide and mouth parted in horror. No, he couldn't believe it. The intelligent, witty and caring witch in front of him had tried to take her life and had faced an addiction? No, he couldn't see it.

"I promise, I'm not lying," she muttered, somehow sensing his struggling thoughts and her eyes finally fluttered open, her brown orbs shining through the tears. "I am the way I am because Remus and Sirius didn't give up on me. The Order helped us, too; I was too important to lose and most of them have known me since I was twelve-years-old. The Order of the Phoenix is more than a secret organisation that was created to protect the innocent and fight against dark magic users, we're a family. Everyone has lost someone and we've all fought with one another, side by side and back to back. We trust each other implicitly. I was sent away for my protection but now I see the other reason behind it."

"And that would be?" He muttered, still struggling to comprehend what she'd confessed.

"They sent me away to heal, not just physically, but emotional and mentally. I needed a fresh start, somewhere no one would know my face, my name, accomplishments and failures. In Wizarding Britain, I'm currently the face of the 'Light', a bloody mascot. Here, no one knew me, even if this is a temporary home, it's a home nonetheless and it's done me good. I know that and my fathers are always saying how I laugh and smile more, how the brightness is slowly returning to my eyes. I _feel_ at home here and I'm not sure why but I'm not complaining and I'm not going to take it for granted."

"You're the strongest person I've ever met," he said in awe of her, of everything she'd been through, of the fact she could openly speak to him about her past traumas and tragedies.

The corners of her mouth twitched until a small smile settled on her face. "Why are you so nice to me?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow at her question. "I'm being serious, Paul. _Why_ are you so nice to me? I've seen the way people look at me, even before my secret was revealed, they noticed the sadness in me and they treated me like a fragile china doll. You, on the other hand, have never treated me that way and you're always honest with me, you're kind to me and you don't look at me as though I'm going to break into a thousand pieces should the wrong thing be said."

He shrugged his shoulders, feeling a little uncomfortable. He'd never been good at expressing his emotions, well, except anger. That, he was a master at.

"Seriously, what did I do to deserve meeting you?" She whispered.

Her hand reached out until it clasped around his and she lifted it, laced her fingers through his and then put their clasped hands near her face and in-between them on the bed. The contrast between the ivory of her skin tone and the russet of his own was mesmerising to him.

He felt something inside of him shift, something he'd never felt before and he gazed at their joined hands. He was going to do something he'd never done before, he was going to open up.

"You're a good person, Hermione," he muttered softly. "You haven't been shown a lot of kindness and I can't help but want the best for you. I can't help but want to..." He trailed off.

He was baring his soul to her. He'd always thought he'd fuck a vampire before he ever put himself in a vulnerable position, but he couldn't stop himself. She had shown nothing but vulnerability since he'd arrived, she'd placed a huge amount of trust in him and it was only fair he did the same. He sighed in frustration, not knowing how to explain himself to her, struggling to find the words and pinpoint his feelings.

"It's okay, Paul, you don't have to say anything," she said quietly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked. He eyed the way she appeared thoughtful, her expression unsure and he slowly nodded. "Why're you so angry all the time? You cover it well but I can see what others can't, and you're quick to anger."

His frame stiffened, his breathing halting for a moment and he dared to look at her, seeing only curiosity and sadness. She'd found the strength to tell him of her horrific past; it was only fair to show that he trusted her by telling her of his.

His eyes moved to their joined hands and he kept them there, not wanting to see the reaction she'd have to what he was about to divulge.

"My father got my mother pregnant and married her out of responsibility. He didn't love her, hated her in fact for getting pregnant with me. I was six when my mother died of cancer. I don't remember much of her," he shrugged. "He started drinking and beating me, he was always careful about where he hit me to not leave visible marks. As I grew older, it grew worse, my body became stronger and could take the beatings a lot better than a six-year-old. I phased for the first time last year, my father hasn't looked at me since. He knows nothing about what happened, only that I miraculously grew taller, put on more muscle and practically disappeared for three months."

"I would say I'm sorry and that you didn't deserve that upbringing but I know that's not what you want to hear," she said softly. "So instead, I'll say to you that you can stay here whenever you wish to, we've a spare room." He felt his chest tighten at her soft, calming tone. "And I promise, your father _will_ get what's coming to him."

His eyes snapped to hers at the sudden dark tone her voice had taken and he couldn't decide if he was terrified or awed by the look of anger and determination that set in her eyes.

"Now," she took a breath, appearing calmer. "Are you tired?"

In all honesty, he was exhausted; aside from the time he'd dozed off not too long ago, he hadn't slept since the night before and it was now early morning, the sun was set to rise in just under two hours.

"No, you?"

"Yes, but I can't sleep," she sighed tiredly. She released her grip on his hand, pulling back from him, throwing the blanket off herself and then she climbed out of bed.

He was surprised to see her wearing a pink satin spaghetti strap top and a pair of matching, very, _very_ , short shorts. Her ivory skin seemed to gleam in the candlelight that burned when she flicked her wand, and her hair was pulled into a heap on top of her head, showcasing her elegant neck.

How had he been with her for over an hour and not noticed her sleepwear? He stared at her, he couldn't stop himself.

He watched as she turned around to face him and she dug through the drawer of her bedside table. He saw the deep, almost black bruises beneath her eyes, being reminded of why she was so exhausted had anger building within. Catching sight of the wolf tattooed on her wrist, it served as a distraction and his anger simmered and a smirk pulled at his mouth.

Unfortunately, his eyes trailed her arms, landing on the hideous scar that marred her left forearm and as he stared, unable to tear his eyes away from it, his anger returned tenfold, his body shaking with such a force, the bed shook, too.

Hermione's attention being drawn, her head snapped to him and her eyes widening a fraction in realisation of what was happening before she leaned over the mattress and set her hand against his shoulder. When his shaking subsided, she followed his gaze until she reached her scarred arm, flinching back a little.

"It was done with a cursed blade, dark magic. I can't cover it and it can't be healed," she muttered before turning around and heading for her walk-in closet, returning moments later and dressed in dark jeans, black trainers and a grey hooded jumper that was a little too big for her.

She approached the bed, cleaned the shattered glass and spilt potion from the floor with a flick of her wand and then she held her hand out to him. Eyeing her curiously, he stood from the bed and placed his hand in hers and she tugged him from her bedroom, through the tent and outside. When they crossed through the wards, she halted to a stop and turned to face him.

"From my memories, you've witnessed the awful things magic is capable of, but you haven't witnessed the good and wonderful. If you insist on being an idiot and fighting against adversaries you've never before met, let alone faced, I want you to know why I'm in this position in the first place. I want you to see why so many died for magic," she said quietly. "Close your eyes," she instructed and after holding her gaze for a few seconds longer, he did so. "This is going to feel very uncomfortable; the first few times are always a nightmare. Hold your breath, don't let go of my hand and bend your knees ready for the landing. Once we arrive, take deep calming breaths and try not to empty the contents of your stomach all over my feet." She saw his eyebrows raise but he didn't open his eyes. "Okay, on the count of three. One, two..." Hermione twisted on her heel, the familiar sensation of being squeezed through a too-tight tube overwhelming her and her chest tightening before her feet hit the ground.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 11

**Wednesday 8th October 2006**

Paul opened his eyes and groaned, doubling over with his hands braced against his knees and his head bent, taking deep breaths to fight off the nausea that threatened to rear its ugly head, with Hermione rubbing comforting circles on his back and remaining silent, allowing him all the time he needed.

"I'm impressed, you didn't throw up or faint, I did both my first time apparating," she commented, looking a little surprised he'd handled it so well.

"That was fucking _awful_ ," he commented, standing to his full height and she pulled her hand back.

"Yeah," she nodded in agreement, "But it gets better the more you do it," she promised.

"What was that? What happened?" He questioned, his eyes darting about his surroundings curiously.

They were no longer in the woods by her tent, but in a meadow with dark green grass and white daisies that littered the ground and trees surrounded the edges of the meadow, giving them a sense of privacy.

"That was apparition, a form of travel for us. It's why I don't drive. It would take you two hours to drive to Port Angeles, whereas it would take me thirty seconds, if that, if I apparated."

"What about shopping, where would you put it?"

"I can either shrink it down to fit into a single bag or my pocket, or I can banish it to the tent."

"That's handy," he mused, impressed.

"Tell me about it," she chuckled.

"Where are we?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure, I saw this inside Seth's thoughts and thought it was pretty, that it would be a good place to show you who I am. When apparating you don't require an address, you just have to have been to a place before, you have to be able to visualise where it is you want to go," she said, answering the question she knew he was dying to ask.

Seeing the grass beneath them was damp and cold, she cast a Drying and Warming Charm before taking a seat on the grass, Paul watching her curiously before mimicking her actions.

"Not all magic is bad; it's actually an amazing thing. I've been a witch all my life but I've only known about magic since I was eleven and even now the capabilities of magic still amaze me. I've seen some incredible things and I've seen some horrific things. But, for the most part, magic is, well, it's magical," she shrugged.

"Have you always known you were a witch?"

"No, as my parents were muggles, neither of us had any idea. All we knew was there was something different about me. Before a child gets their wand, their magic is a ticking time bomb. Our emotions are tied into our magic and when our magic acts out it's called accidental magic. My first display of magic happened when I was four. My parents took my Halloween treats away from me and wouldn't let me eat any...They were both dentists," she answered when she saw his mouth open to ask a question and he nodded in understanding. "I screamed the house down and all the glass windows shattered. When I was five, I brought my teddy bear to life. When I was six, I made water explode out of bottles and they soaked everyone in my class. When I was seven, I turned the colour of my dress from pink to blue. When I was eight, I accidentally caused whiteboard erasers to fly through the air and hit my classmates in the face. Magic has always been inside of me."

"Do you still have these outbursts?"

"Children get their wands at the age of eleven and it's specifically made for them; out of the thousands of wands in the shop, only one is suited to each individual and it's quite complicated, but the wand _chooses_ the child. Wands are used in the channelling of magic, to improve the results of spell casting, to aid with focus and to prevent magical outbursts. It isn't always effective but the percentage of accidental magic outbursts after the age of eleven is around five percent."

"Have you ever had outbursts since getting your wand?"

She snorted. "A few, you could say I am known to be quite...Stubborn."

He chuckled. "Temperamental, got it."

She scowled. "Shut up," she mumbled.

"I thought you wanted to show me magic."

A smile tugged at her lips and she nodded, lifting her wand and aiming it towards the sky. " _Avis_ ," she whispered.

A flock of beautiful bright yellow canaries flew from the tip of her wand, circling above them, swooping and diving between them before they flew off into the distance. He turned to look at her with slightly wider eyes.

"That spell is taught in sixth year transfiguration. My sixth year, I caught Ronald having a _disgusting_ public display of affection, I conjured the canaries and sent them to attack him," she confessed, a fond, sad smile pulling at her mouth as she remembered the exact moment, and Paul laughed at her.

She placed her wand on the ground before reaching for the sleeve of her jumper, tugging it up to her elbow to display the wolf tattooed on her wrist. He couldn't help it, the corners of his mouth tugged into a smirk.

She held her arm out to him. "Touch it,"

"Why?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just touch it and you'll see."

Curiously, he lifted his hand and with his index finger, he slowly trailed it over the wolf's back, as if scratching it. A noise of surprise fell from his mouth when the wolf visibly shivered and arched its back into his touch and when he pulled his hand back, the wolf tossed its head back, releasing a silent howl. His eyes darted to Hermione's in surprise, seeing her smile.

"Tattoos in my world are done with charmed ink, there's no pain and once the tattoo is healed it'll move under someone's touch."

"That's amazing," he commented, genuinely impressed.

"Hmm, the only problem is, you suffer from the side effects for a few weeks. You tire easily, the immune system weakens making it easier to pick up viruses, you get headaches and you feel nauseous," she shrugged. "Can I ask you something?" She asked with a wrinkle in her forehead.

"Have I ever said no to you?" He replied with a cocked eyebrow.

Her mouth tugged into a small smile at his response, before she cleared her throat, having the feeling her next words might cause some tension.

"Jacob," she started and his reaction was the immediate stiffening off his body and his face pulling into an angry expression. "What's going on with him? It's clear to anyone with eyes that he acts oddly when I'm nearby. At first, he wouldn't even look at me and now he seems to follow me around like a little lost pup."

"It's not my place to say," he replied, the anger hidden in his tone.

"Why?"

"It's the law of the wolf pack."

"Can anyone else tell me?"

"No, only Jacob."

"Alright, then why are you so tense around each other?"

"He did something, I know it's not his fault, he can't control what he did, but still, it makes me angry."

His body shook lightly and Hermione reached out, her hand grasping his until he calmed. She turned her eyes above, watching as daylight slowly approached and dark, grey clouds floated across the sky, ignoring the way his eyes traced every detail of her face.

"You said you can communicate through your spirit animal," Paul interrupted her musings and breaking the silence that had remained for a long while. "Can you show me how that works?"

"I can't," she muttered.

"Why?" He frowned.

"To cast a Patronus, one must be able to summon a memory of true happiness. I haven't been able to conjure my Patronus since before the Final Battle; every time I try the good memories are overridden by the bad. I think of my childhood, my friends and family, and I'm reminded of the pain and suffering, of the deaths and innocent lives that were taken. I don't have any happy memories that aren't ruined."

"None at all?"

"No," she whispered, her gaze falling downcast and locking onto a single daisy and he gave her hand a squeeze, having yet to release it.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?" She hummed, her eyes focusing on the daisy before her, counting the petals.

They sat side by side and were so close to one another, she could feel the slightest twitch in movement from him. The hand that wasn't currently holding hers came up to gently grasp her chin, tilting her head back a little until her eyes gazed up at him; even sitting down he was far taller than she was. His eyes bore into hers before darting down to her mouth and then back up, and slowly, he leaned in.

Merlin! He wasn't going to kiss her, was he? Don't get her wrong, she'd thought about that day at the beach when they were interrupted, but he wasn't actually going to try and... He did.

Before she had time to process it, her breathing halted to a stop and Paul's mouth pressed softly against hers and her eyes fluttered closed.

~000~000~000~

As soon as his eyes left her chocolate orbs and darted down to her pink, plump lips, there was no stopping him and he leaned in closer, his mouth pressing against hers, her lips being softer than he'd imagined and a little chapped in the corner, knowing she tended to chew at her lip when in thought.

The moment his mouth pressed to hers, he felt everything change for him. She was his everything. His life. His saviour. His happiness. His gravity. His air. Just _his_. He knew he would do anything and everything for her. He knew he would be anything for her and he saw his life flash through his mind, his future that revolved solely around Hermione.

He didn't understand it; Jacob had imprinted on Hermione at first sight. Why and how had he imprinted on the same woman? That wasn't possible! And why had it taken kissing her to know for certain that she was his imprint, when he'd been the first to see her, to interact with her, to spend time with her?

He'd known from the moment he'd met Hermione that she was special, but why had it taken this long? He'd known that in some way she would be his. And now she was. She was his imprint. Oh, how the thought filled him with happiness. Filled him with hope.

With her in his life, it could only get better. He no longer felt anger towards Jacob; he now understood what it felt like to have an imprint, hell, the same imprint! He had just as much claim to her as Jacob did, whether he was the True Alpha or not. She was just as much his as she was Jacob's. How that would work, or if it could work, he didn't know.

The kiss lasted no longer than a few seconds and when he pulled back from her, he saw her eyes were still closed; she looked so beautiful with sleep mussed hair, slightly red eyes and wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and an overly-large jumper. He couldn't stop the small smile that pulled at his mouth.

"What was that for?" She whispered, her eyes fluttering open and her chocolate orbs instantly locking him in her gaze.

"You and I both know what that was for," he replied, his gaze intense.

"What?" She frowned slightly.

He shook his head and smiled, his hand still grasping her chin and preventing her from turning away, not that she could.

"A new happy memory, something that isn't tainted by your past."

"What made you think that you kissing me would make me happy?" She questioned with a raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled at her. "Call it a feeling. Are you saying that my skills aren't appreciated?" He teased. He knew her response would amuse him judging by the answering smirk on her face.

"Skills?" She questioned and he nodded. "I don't know; I've had better."

He stared silently before a laugh left him. "Cheeky little witch," he muttered fondly.

Her eyes sparkled, something he'd never seen before. He wondered if this was the way she'd been before the war took over her life. He vowed he would do everything to make her happy. Her laugh was music to his ears, her smile illuminating, lighting up a dark day. Her scent so familiar and comforting and her touch, feather-soft and electrifying.

"It seems I need to prove myself."

"If you must," she rolled her eyes, as if it would be an inconvenience to her and he chuckled.

"You, Miss. Black, are a phenomenon."

"Big word," she teased.

Her eyes softened, showing the chocolate brown that had quickly become one of his favourite colours and he tilted his head down and kissed her, this time with a little more pressure.

He smiled when he heard her sigh and he moved his lips against hers slowly and she responded to him happily. He felt her raise up onto her knees, making it so she was taller than him and all without breaking the kiss. His hand moved from her chin and to her cheek, the other hand releasing hers and gently cupping the back of her neck, keeping her to him. One of her hands went to the side of his neck, her thumb gently brushing over his jawline, her touch heating his skin, his already unnaturally high body temperature rising. Her other hand reached around to the back of his neck, her fingers playing with the hair there.

He now understood why Jacob tried to touch her as often as he did without it being suspicious. Her touch had always calmed him, set him at ease, but now it was different. Everything seemed to have heightened, her effect on him far stronger now that he'd imprinted.

When he tugged at a loose curl that had broken free, his heart skipped a beat when a little soft moan fell from her lips, and despite not wanting to, the need to breathe was growing stronger and he reluctantly pulled back from her. Her breathing was heavier than usual and her eyes slowly fluttered open, boring down into his.

"So, proved myself yet?" he asked, his voice taking a husky tone.

Her mouth tugged into a small smirk. "Hmm, not quite, better though."

He chuckled at her, a mischievous smile pulling at his mouth and without warning, he fell backwards until he was lying on the ground and Hermione gave an adorable squeak as she fell forward, half landing on top of him and she started laughing joyously, trying to scowl but unable to accomplish it through her laughter.

"I take that as a challenge, Miss. Black."

"It wasn't a challenge, just fact."

"Still..." He muttered, tilting his head and hers tilted down to meet his, their lips touching far more confidently than they had previously.

Paul flicked his tongue along her bottom lip and Hermione granted his access, parting her mouth in response, his wolf purring happily in his chest. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring the unfamiliar territory, his hands burying in her hair and keeping her to him, whilst one of hers settled against his shoulder for balance, her fingers brushing his collar bone and the other tangled in his hair. She tugged on the strands, pulling a surprised groan from him, only to respond with a moan when his tongue brushed against hers. Needing to breathe, Hermione was the first to pull away, tugging gently on his lip as she did so, gazing down at his awestruck expression, something she'd never thought she'd see on his face.

Her eyes shined brightly, her lips were red and swollen, a pink flush had covered her cheeks and wayward curls fell about her face as they escaped her messy bun. She was the most stunning being he'd ever laid his eyes on and he knew he didn't deserve her, but he wasn't going to let her go because he was a selfish man and he knew it.

She laughed lightly when he smiled at her, one of the softest expressions he'd ever allowed to grace his face, and being distracted by her beauty, he didn't see her pulling back from him and climbing to her feet before he had the chance to hold her to him to prevent it. He looked up at her confused before rising to his feet.

She held her wand in her hand and with her eyes locked on his, she raised her wand. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," she whispered.

He watched mesmerised as a beam of bright light shot from the tip of her wand before it morphed into a beautiful silver-blue misty wolf. The wolf wasn't as large as her wolf form but it was still pretty big, maybe a little bigger than a regular wild wolf.

The wolf bounded above them in the air, Hermione laughing loudly, joyously, spinning in circles as the wolf darted around her happily before it lowered to the ground, its bright eyes locking on him with a curiously tipped head. The wolf glanced towards Hermione almost questioningly before it slowly approached and Hermione stepped closer to Paul's side, reaching for his hand and holding it out towards the wolf, as you would an unfamiliar dog. The large wolf took a step forward, curiously sniffed at his hand and Hermione released her grasp when the wolf sat down and sniffed his hand before tilting its head down and pressing it against his palm, signalling it wanted a pet. A noise of surprise fell from his lips when he felt the soft fur against his skin. How was that possible? How did it feel so real? The wolf looked to be made of a misty-smoke.

"This is my Patronus," Hermione smiled, her eyes bright as Paul scratched the wolf's head and its tongue fell out of its mouth comically. "She likes you; I haven't seen her behave like this with anyone except for my fathers."

" _What_ is a Patronus exactly?" He asked distractedly, his eyes on the wolf before him.

"It's our spirit animal, a part of our soul and magic. It is essentially us. To conjure a Patronus is one of the most difficult things to do due to the _pureness_ of the magic. It's like a unicorn or a ray of light from a blue moon caught in a jar. Only those with the magical potential, self-belief and happiest memories can conjure it, and they're used for protection against dementors, awful dark creatures that suck out your soul, they're used for communicating but they can also be used for companionship. A Patronus tends to represent the personality or character of a person. I was known for being kind and gentle," she gestured to the wolf that was now lying down on its back, wanting a belly rub. "When a Patronus isn't given a specific task, it will revert to its natural behaviour until concentration is lost and the charm ends. I haven't seen her since March, it's been eight months since I was last able to conjure her," she said quietly, looking at the wolf that was now darting about the meadow, trying to eat the daises or chasing little flies. "Thank you."

"For what?" He questioned in confusion, pulling his attention away from the amusing wolf to look down at her.

"For giving me a happy memory that can't be tainted by my past," she replied in a voice that was a little above a whisper. She sighed softly and pushed her hair back from her face. "For giving me back my wolf."

He smiled at her softly, turning to face her and no longer remembering the wolf's presence. He lifted his hand to her cheek, hesitating a little but he felt the wolf puff out in pride, purring in his chest when she leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed.

"You don't need to thank me, Hermione."

"Why are you so kind to me?" She asked, repeating the question she'd asked him back in her bedroom.

He wanted to tell her it because he was hers. Always would be, always will be. He wanted to tell her it was because he loved her, because he did. Before he'd had a genuine strong liking, but since his imprinting on her, he loved her with everything he had in him, as did the wolf. He wanted to tell her it was because he would do anything to protect her, to make her smile, to make her happy. But he couldn't, not yet at least. He'd have to speak to the pack first, this was a very new development, one that had never before been seen, two wolves imprinting on the same girl. Instead, he settled for the least intimate of answers.

"You deserve it, Hermione. I can see that you've suffered a lot of unfair treatment for something that couldn't be controlled."

"So you're trying to make it up to me for everyone else?"

He chuckled. "I suppose so,"

He couldn't stop himself and he tilted his head down to kiss her, she stood up on her tiptoes to lift herself up and she pressed her lips to his in a chaste but meaningful kiss. When they separated, he folded his arms around her, tugging her against him and holding her gently, her small frame fitting perfectly into his much larger one.

This was something he _never_ did with girls; he'd fuck them and leave. Everyone knew he was definitely the one night stand type of guy, if you wanted a good time, then he was your man. If you wanted a relationship, you stayed well away from Paul Lahote.

He'd never been with the same girl more than once. That was his rule. He never stayed over, he never spoke to the girl again, and he sure as hell never stayed long enough for post-sex cuddles. He didn't even hug in general not being an overly affectionate person, but with Hermione it was different. Even before his imprinting, he wouldn't have minded if she were to hug him. He always wanted her to be in his arms, where she was safe from the horrors of her world and those wanting to kill her. To wipe out those like her. He couldn't understand it.

He looked down at her, her cheek pressed to his hot skin, her eyes closed and a content smile on her face. She didn't seem the least bit bothered that she was cuddling against his naked chest, it seemed it didn't affect her at all which both pleased and annoyed him. It pleased him to know she was comfortable around him, but it annoyed him as it meant she wasn't affected by his appearance. But he took that to mean she wasn't superficial like the others he'd shared a tumble in the sheets with. But he had to admit, he was quite superficial.

But the fates had been kind to him, giving him someone he truly didn't deserve; someone that was a beautiful, intelligent, kind, selfless and understanding woman. They'd given him someone who understood what it was like to be different, to have abilities you had to control at all times lest your secret be revealed or you accidentally hurt someone.

She tipped her head to look up at him and he blinked in surprise, his mouth parting slightly at the sight of her glowing, literally glowing, a soft golden colour.

"Hermione, you're glowing," he muttered, barely finding the words.

"Thanks," she grinned.

"No, I mean you're actually glowing."

She untangled her arms from around him and stepped back, glancing down at herself before releasing a light laugh.

"Sorry, my magic's been a little out of control lately. It's normal when you're going through Animagus training; it takes a high amount of magical energy to complete it and as a result, it taps into our core magic, the magic that keeps up alive and functioning as we should, and that shifts the balance of magic in our bodies. I'll be like this for a couple of months until the balance is righted," she explained as she reached up with her hands, trying to massage her neck and shoulders.

"What're you doing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Trying to jump-start the flow of magic through my blood, it'll stop me from glowing and rein in my magic. Of course, it's only a short term fix until my magic sorts itself out," she shrugged. "Right, it's early, you may not have school this week, and I may not be going to school this week, but I need to check on Remus and Sirius, and we both need food and sleep. Let's go home."

He looked up to see the large wolf had vanished and she held her hand out to him, he placed his hand in hers and prepared himself when he saw her spinning on her heel.

When they landed, they were outside the wards to the tent and he wobbled unsteadily on his feet, he felt lightheaded but he didn't throw up. He was surprised when she pulled him through the wards and into the tent, tugging him towards the kitchen before she flicked her wand and summoned two bowls, cereal and milk.

"It's only half seven, but Remus won't be up for another three hours since he's still healing and Sirius won't likely be up for another five because he's lazy," she explained before handing him a bowl of cereal.

"Your fathers won't mind me staying here?" He cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

"No," she shook her head confidently. "Both my fathers understand what it's like to have arseholes for fathers. Remus was kicked out and Sirius was disowned," she said softly. He didn't say anything, just nodded.

Once they ate their breakfast, or in Paul's case his 'snack', he was surprised that Hermione pulled him towards her bedroom and not the spare bedroom she'd mentioned having.

She disappeared into her bathroom and he heard the tap running and he stood awkwardly by the bed, not being sure what to do. When she came out, she went into her closet and returned with a pair of grey pyjama bottoms and a white t-shirt printed with a logo he didn't recognise and she held them out to him in offering. He raised an eyebrow.

"They used to be Harry's," she whispered sadly. "I've made alterations for you, they should fit. You know where the bathroom is."

He resisted the urge to tell her he didn't wear pyjamas to bed knowing she'd likely scowl, smack him and now that her secret was out and after hearing stories and her father's yells of profanities, she'd probably hex him, too, something he definitely didn't want to experience.

He smiled a small smile before accepting them and heading into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Her shower looked very inviting and he couldn't stop himself before he quickly stripped down, found a large towel and jumped under the spray of the hot water, being in and out in under five minutes and he quickly dried and dressed for bed. When he exited the bathroom, Hermione was already in bed and beneath the covers, looking to be asleep and he shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do with himself.

"Just get in, Paul, I don't bite," she sighed, opening a single eye.

Chuckling, he lightly shook his head before hesitantly approaching the large bed, slipping under the covers opposite her and getting himself comfortable. Admittedly, it was the most comfortable mattress he'd come across.

"Didn't you say you had a spare room?"

"Hmm, it's not finished yet but you can sleep on the couch if you would rather not share a bed with me," her sleepy voice replied.

No, he wouldn't do that, the wolf in him growled and bristled at the thought. Surprising; he'd never shared a bed with _anyone_ before.

~000~000~000~

Sirius and Remus had long since woken for the day and to see that Hermione wasn't in the kitchen, living room or her potions lab. She was usually awake before they were and hadn't left a note, so they knew she was still in the tent.

They both headed to her bedroom and were surprised to see Hermione asleep, but she wasn't alone, Paul was there, too. Hermione was sleeping close to him with her head on his chest and arm flung over his waist whilst Paul had his arm settled over her waist, his other hand resting over her forearm that hung over him, and his head tilted with his nose buried in her hair. They both looked peaceful and likely wouldn't be waking for a while.

Sirius heard the low growl that rumbled in Remus' chest, his eyes taking on the terrifying amber that signalled Moony coming to the surface. Sirius was quick to erect a Silencing Charm around the sleeping teens as to not wake them when they clearly needed their rest; he knew an exhausted teen when he saw one.

"Moony," he said calmly, "Hermione may be your cub, but she's eighteen and can make her own decisions. It's obvious nothing has happened, they're both wearing clothing," he placated, gaining the attention of the pissed werewolf. "Hermione probably had a nightmare and she likely put a Silencing Charm around our room, she's done that before."

" _Why_ is _he_ here?" The werewolf snarled.

"Don't you remember that the pack patrols the borderlines? Their hearing is even better than ours, he likely heard her. Nothing happened, look at them, they're just sleeping; can you smell anything?" He questioned.

The werewolf visibly sniffed at the air, seeming to calm slightly. "No," he admitted.

"Exactly, look at her, look at your cub; have you ever seen her look so peaceful?"

"No," he said, the amber disappearing from his eyes, the wolf retreating into the background. "I still don't like it," Remus muttered, crossing his arms over his chest childishly and Sirius chuckled at him.

"Of course, you don't, she's your cub. But if you get involved she won't be happy with you, she'll likely hex you."

"I know," his lip twitched.

"There's something between them," Sirius said thoughtfully. "I can feel it, it's strange, _powerful_."

"I can feel it, too," Remus frowned.

"We'll do some research," Sirius promised.

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Sirius?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Shut up," he scowled, shoving Remus out of the bedroom and closing the door behind him, leaving the two teenagers to their peaceful sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 10

**Wednesday 8th October 2006**

Hermione's eyes slowly fluttered open, a groan of annoyance sounding from her before she pulled the blanket over her eyes.

"Not a morning person?" She heard a chuckle.

She peeked over the edge of the covers, seeing that Paul was glancing at her amusedly, looking the perfect picture of comfortable with his arms crossed behind his head and his feet crossed at the ankles.

"I think it's technically the afternoon," she grumbled, missing his head shake and the twitch of his mouth when she buried herself back under the covers.

"Did you sleep alright? No nightmares?" He questioned.

She pulled the covers back, a frown marring her features. "Actually, no, no nightmares. That's never happened before," she muttered, turning her eyes to him and glancing at him strangely. He kept his face passive but the wolf was practically purring in delight.

"I suppose I better get up, I need to feed my fathers, they're useless without me. And I don't doubt you'll want feeding as well," she sighed before throwing the blanket off herself, climbing out of bed and disappearing into the bathroom.

She exited fifteen minutes later dressed in a red cashmere jumper, a pair of white skinny jeans and red converse covering her feet. As she stepped through the door, she was towel drying her hair and she approached her bedside table, picked up her wand, and glanced at Paul to see he hadn't moved from his position of lounging on her bed.

"How'd you do that?" He gestured to her clothes with a wave of his hand.

"I conjured them, Gamp's law states that anything but food can be conjured, as soon as you eat it, it would disappear from your stomach. But I technically summoned my clothing from my wardrobe," she shrugged. He blinked at her.

"Why'd you always wear red?" he asked curiously, having noticed it was one of the colours she sported quite frequently.

She sat on the edge of the mattress and neatly folded the towel in her hands, setting it off to the side before turning to face him.

"I'm a Gryffindor, the mighty lion, red and gold," she spoke looking offended but he knew she was joking with him and he chuckled at her. "In all honesty, that _is_ why I wear red; it reminds me that I'm a Gryffindor, we're known for being rash, prideful, brave and chivalrous," she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I need a reminder of it; it's hard to get through the day without them by my side. We did _everything_ together, seven years we were inseparable, seven years we relied on each other, we covered each other's blind spots. There was always someone beside me," she said quietly. "I don't have that anymore, I have my fathers but it's not the same. I love them but they can take care of themselves. I was always taking care of Harry and Ron. I always had someone with me, I was never alone, I sometimes wished I was, but I never wanted for it to happen this way. Why did I have to be the one to survive? Why didn't I die with my best friends?" She looked to him, an agonised expression upon her face and tears slowly leaking from the corner of her eyes.

Without hesitation, he pushed himself into a sitting position, shuffled closer and pulled her into his side. She didn't put up a fight; she went willingly and immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't have the answers you're looking for, Hermione, but I do know that you won't be alone again. They'll always be someone beside you. Whether it's your fathers or one of the pack, you're one of us." He wolf hummed in pride; that had felt good to say out loud. "That's why we're fighting for you."

"I won't let any harm come to the pack, I would kill to protect you," she promised, her tone soft but determined and his chest swelled. "I've kind of adopted you, I do it a lot," she muttered and he chuckled at her. "Whether you or the pack like it or not, I've brought you into my world and made you family and I protect my family."

"They'll be glad to hear that, they've become fond of you," he admitted. "Would you really kill for us?"

"Yes, it wouldn't be the first time; I'm not as good a person as you think. I've killed people."

"You were at war, Hermione, it wasn't in cold blood. It was self-defence," he said confidently and she reluctantly nodded. They stayed quiet for a little while, Hermione pulled against him and him holding her protectively.

"We should see what my fathers are up to," she said, unwillingly pulling herself free of him and standing from the bed. She aimed her wand at herself, muttering a charm to dry her hair until it fell in sleek curls.

With a flick of her wrist, she summoned Paul's clothing from the night before and aimed her wand at him, muttering beneath her breath until he looked down at himself, surprised to find he was now wearing his shoes, jean shorts and the same t-shirt he'd slept in.

"Magic," she said lightly. "Come on, I'm hungry, which means you're starving."

He stood from the bed and followed after her, a chuckle falling from him at her comment because she was right, he _was_ starving and had been the moment he'd woken, almost half an hour before her. Despite his hunger, he hadn't wanted to go digging through her kitchen or to run into her fathers, thinking it might be an awkward encounter if they were to discover he'd slept in their daughter's bed.

"What's in there? I got a snout full last night and it's disgusting," he grimaced just thinking of the horrid smells.

She snorted. "That's my potions lab."

"Potions lab?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, it's where I brew all my healing potions and creams. We have potions for most things; healing, antidotes to many poisons and potions, cosmetics, sleeping...We have potions to confuse people, to make someone appear dead, to make people experience happiness, to relieve pain and anxiety, to make someone feel pain or insanity, to make you lucky, or stronger, older and younger, smarter, to increase your endurance, to enlarge and shrink things and to force you to tell the truth. We even have a potion that makes you an identical copy of someone for an hour."

"Everything that's impossible, got ya," he nodded. She laughed at him and he delighted in the sound.

"Almost everything is possible in the magical world. Teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy, shape-shifting, flying, levitation, conjuring, transfiguration, predicting the future, giants, trolls, ogres, fairies, ghosts...You name it, we've got it."

They entered the open planned room and Hermione glanced around to see it empty before crossing to the kitchen where she spied a note on the counter.

_Cub,_

_We've gone exploring, we'll be back before dark. Are your friends attending our training session this evening?_

_Love, Moony and Padfoot_

"Moony and Padfoot?" He questioned after she'd finished reading it aloud.

"Remus and Sirius, it's their nicknames, had them since they were fifteen. Moony because he's a werewolf and Sirius because he's a dog," she shrugged.

"Your fathers call you Cub and Snowflake," he pointed out.

"Yes, Remus used to hate it when I called him Alpha but he got used to it eventually. It's a sign of respect and love, all werewolf packs treat their Alpha with the utmost respect, whether they like them or not, agree with their actions or not. The Alpha makes the decisions and protects the pack. I'm Remus' cub. Sirius calls me Snowflake, he said it's because I'm unique, one of a kind like a snowflake, I'm delicate and gentle," she smiled softly, just thinking of her fathers. "Although, I suppose it fits with my wolf form given my colouring, which I admit, more than surprised me. Anyway, _are_ you coming to training tonight?"

"Yeah, the pack's coming," he confirmed.

She nodded. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," she muttered with her wand aimed upwards.

He watched as her face lit up in pure joy as her wolf appeared and bounded around the room, having a little exploring session before it approached and sat down before her, patiently awaiting instructions.

"The pack will be attending training, the Cullens will likely be there, too," she said, seeing Paul bristle. "I'll find out later. Is there anything in particular you wish for dinner?" She sent off her wolf with the message and it darted out of the tent and disappeared.

"I know that neither the pack or Cullens get along but you have to at least tolerate each other," she said gently, approaching him at his position of leaning back against the counter and she stopped in front of him, tilting her head to look up at him. "They want to help protect me and they've been good to me. They're immune to my blood as well as my fathers, we are in no danger."

"They _are_ dangerous, Hermione," he argued, his protective instincts flaring up, his wolf rumbling in his chest.

Hell, now he knew how Jacob felt. If he were honest, as much as he hated the Cullens, he'd thought Jacob would take things a little too far but now that he'd imprinted on Hermione, he understood every thought and feeling Jacob could possibly have regarding Hermione's safety.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I've killed a vampire?"

"Maybe,"

"I've killed _two_ , in the Final Battle," she sighed. "My fathers have each killed one. We've ways to defend ourselves against them, I _will_ be safe, I promise you. The only one you have to worry about is Rosalie but even she seems to like me now," she chuckled. "Please, Paul, just tolerate them. We have to work together."

"Don't expect me to be all chummy," he grumbled begrudgingly.

Unlike Jacob, he knew when to back down and he wasn't risking getting the same talking to Hermione had given his packmate, especially when things seemed to be going his way and he didn't want to risk messing things up. So, although he hated the Cullens and he'd have to fight his protective instincts, he'd keep his mouth shut and his comments to himself.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she grinned up at him and he felt himself smile in return.

"Right then, time to make lunch _and_ dinner as I won't have time tonight."

She turned and flicked her wand and he moved to take a seat at the breakfast bar, watching silently as bowls and pots and pans, plates and food started flying around the room, Hermione directing it to where she wanted it to go. She worked in relative silence and not wanting to disturb her, he sat quietly until he felt himself startling, almost falling off the stool when a silver-blue dog appeared out of nowhere, landing on the counter in front of him. When it opened its mouth, he hadn't expected to hear the voice of Hermione's father.

 _"That's fine, Snowflake, the more the merrier, we love a good party. Anything you wish for dinner, just make sure you have some chocolate, Moony's still grumpy. Ow! I mean delightful as always. Ow! Will you stop hitting me?"_ The dog faded to nothing as Hermione laughed lightly, giving her head a shake.

"That's slightly weird," he commented, partially amazed, partially freaked out.

"You get used to it," she said, her laughter tapering off into chuckles.

Once she'd calmed, she set about preparing dinner, spelling knives to cut up the vegetables, spelling bottles of spices to season the lamb and cleaning the workspace as she went along. She placed a plate of spaghetti bolognese in front of him and he smiled in thanks, happily digging into the deliciously smelling dish and watching as she ate from her own whilst she continued making dinner, and then later preparing a number of sandwiches before they disappeared from view with a wave of her wand.

"Right, I'm done," she said to no one in particular, an hour had passed since she'd started. She waved her wand over the completed dishes and they glowed a light blue.

"What's that?"

"Stasis and Protective Charms, they stop the food from spoiling and they keep it warm, as well as keeping flies and other insects away. It'll be as if I've just taken it out of the oven."

"That's handy," he mused.

"Tell me about it."

"So, what now?" He asked after she sent the dishes to the sink and they began washing themselves.

"Well, I need to visit with the Cullens, they should be back from school by now," she replied. He couldn't stop it, a growl rumbled in his chest and she narrowed her eyes. "Paul," she said, the warning unmistakable in her tone. He groaned in annoyance and she smiled victoriously. "I can handle vampires and I can apparate out of there before they even blink."

"Fine," he sighed begrudgingly, despite it going against everything he believed and all of his plans to protect her. His wolf certainly wasn't happy about it, either. "I need to see the pack anyway and tell them the plan for tonight."

She slipped her wand into her pocket, double-checked all of the candles were unlit and that she had her beaded bag before they left the tent and Hermione checked the wards.

"They're secure, do you want me to apparate you? It'll be quicker."

"Sure, they'll likely be at First Beach."

She nodded and took his hand in hers, spinning on her heel, this time he prepared himself.

~000~000~000~

They landed with 'cracks' and Paul leaned over, his hands braced against his knees as he breathed deeply with Hermione rubbing calming circles on his back. It just so happened that where they'd landed, the pack weren't that far away.

"Fucking hell," Jared startled. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," Hermione replied sheepishly, smiling in greeting to Quil, Embry, Leah, Sam, Seth, Jacob as they sat in a group on the sand, but surprisingly Collin and Brady were there, too.

"It's true, you're a witch!" Collin exclaimed excitedly and she laughed lightly at the thirteen-year-old.

His appearance was the same as the other wolves with dark hair and eyes, but he was one of the shorter wolves, standing at six-foot, but he was far bigger than a regular thirteen-year-old. He had a muscled frame though not as muscled as the others, the same was said for Brady, all except their hair was a little longer and shaggier than the others.

"I guess this means you're wolves, too, you kept that one quiet," she said and they grinned guiltily.

"What was that?" Brady asked her. Her eyes darted between the pack, seeing they looked curious, too.

"Apparition, it's basically teleportation."

"I'm doing fine by the way guys, thanks for your concern," Paul groaned sarcastically and Hermione chuckled at him.

"You are actually," she said to him before turning back to the wolves. "He didn't throw up or faint. I did my first time, and my second, and my third..." She trailed off and they snorted in amusement.

"Can all witches and wizards do that?" Seth asked.

"Yes, once you become of age, seventeen, you're given lessons and then you have to have a license."

" _Do_ you have a license?" Embry asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I do," she sniffed and raised her chin. "Not _everything_ I do is illegal."

"But mostly," he replied amused.

"But mostly," she agreed and they laughed at her.

Her eyes fell to Jacob, seeing that he was glowering darkly at her hand that rested against Paul's back as she rubbed circles over his t-shirt. She had to get to the bottom of their problem with each other.

"You alright now?" She asked Paul.

"Yeah," he muttered, rising to his full height and she pulled her hand back from him.

"Right, I have to get going, I have to visit the Cullens."

"They're dangerous, you shouldn't be alone with them," Jacob growled.

"Okay, I've had the speech from Paul today, so listen carefully. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I've killed two vampires in the Final Battle," she informed them, surprised expressions crossing their faces.

"How?" Sam questioned, looking at her small frame incredulously.

"I'll show you at training this evening, and I've made dinner, too, so come a bit earlier."

"Oh, you _are_ a Goddess, I'm starving," Quil exclaimed.

She snorted at him, rolling her eyes. "Training's not for another three hours," she spoke and he frowned in disappointment. "But..." She dug into her beaded bag and pulled out a picnic basket before enlarging it.

"Cool!" Collin and Brady whispered.

She levitated the basket over to him and set it on the ground before him. "I carry extra food with me as provisions. My bag has everything I need to survive on the run, my fathers each have one in case we get separated. However, I had a feeling you'd say you were starving so I packed it before coming here," she shrugged at their surprised glances. "I best be going, if you're bringing Collin and Brady, don't enter the wards, you'll have to wait for me to add them. I'll see you later," she said before she turned to Paul. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Hermione," he said softly, his eyes focused on her.

"I do though; you've no idea what you've done for me. Thank you," she gave him a soft smile before turning on her spot and apparating, leaving a crack behind her.

"What the hell was that!" Jacob erupted as soon as she was gone and he shot to his feet and approached him, the pack quickly following to intervene whilst Leah kept Collin and Brady back and out of harm's way should a fight break out.

"What was what?" He replied.

" _Why_ is she thanking you, _what_ did you do for her?" His eyes glittered with fury.

"I helped her with her spirit animal," he responded calmly.

"What?" Jacob snapped.

The pack's eyes darted between the two wolves and packmates, puzzled by the apparent role reversals. Paul was calmer than they'd ever seen him and Jacob's form was tense, growls rumbling in his chest, his eyes furious.

"Her spirit animal, the thing she called a Patronus, they use them to communicate, remember? She hasn't been able to see cast hers in eight months, they're made to appear by a happy memory, but every memory she had was tainted, so I helped her and now she can see it. I've never seen anything like it," he shook his head. "They can speak, too, it's weird," he grimaced. "You expect to hear a bark and a human voice speaks instead."

" _What_ exactly did you do to help her?"

He refused to answer, knowing the response he'd get and instead he turned his eyes to Sam. "We need to talk,"

"About?" The Alpha questioned with a cocked eyebrow.

"I imprinted," he confessed nervously. Jacob's fury seemed to leave him at an instant, his surprise matching that of his packmates as they stared at him.

"You imprinted?" Sam repeated slowly, as though he couldn't believe what he'd heard and he needed to double-check he'd heard it correctly.

"I did," he grinned.

"Who is it? Do we know her?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, you know her,"

"Then _who_ is it?" Jared rolled his eyes but smiled, being happy for his best friend.

Imprinting was rare within the pack and the best thing that could happen to a wolf as they found their soul mate, their true happiness. Unless you experienced it yourself, it would be impossible to describe the feelings and comfort it brought. And given how rare an occurrence it was and with four wolves having already imprinted, it was highly unlikely, almost impossible, that another would occur. So for it to happen once more for Paul, was almost as if a miracle had happened.

Jared already saw the difference in his friend. He'd seen him change over the weeks and it had all started from the day they'd met Hermione. But now, as Paul stood before them, a grin like he'd never before seen gracing his face, Jared could see the difference the imprinting had brought him. His eyes were bright, his smile genuine, his body relaxed but confident and proud.

"It's Hermione," he confessed, seeing no point in drawing it out.

The happiness that radiated from the pack at the news of Paul having found his imprint suddenly plummeted, surprise and disbelief replacing it as they stared at him silently.

"That's impossible," Sam whispered.

"I swear, I imprinted on her."

Jacob's fury erupted and his body shook uncontrollably and not caring for his clothing, Paul phased in preparation to defend himself as Jacob's clothes tore from his body and the giant wolf lunged for him. Having expected it, Paul dived to the side before Jacob smacked into him. Their packmates stood back, watching in horrified surprise as Jacob sprang to his feet, twisted around and then charged at Paul, crashing into him and knocking him to the ground. Jacob used his larger and heavier frame to pin him to the ground, snarling and snapping at him viciously as he attempted to bite him, but somehow Paul was able to wriggle free and from under him and he climbed back to his feet, but to the surprise of everyone, Paul stayed exactly where he was, refusing to fight back.

As Jacob lowered into a crouching position, preparing to leap forward, his body stilled as his mind suddenly filled with Paul's thoughts.

Through the mind link he saw the moment Paul had imprinted on Hermione, he felt the way everything changed for Paul, just like it had for him. She was in his every thought, his every hope for the future, almost matching his own. He heard Hermione screaming and saw Paul running to her, saw Hermione begging Paul to stop her from drinking what was in her hand, he saw her tell him of how she'd almost killed herself and how she'd became addicted to a sleeping drug. He saw them in a meadow and Paul kissing her. He saw how happy Hermione was when she made her wolf appear and he had to admit it was pretty awesome. He saw them go back to her room and sleep, he saw them talking and Hermione crying after she came out of the bathroom, Paul comforting her.

As all of that flashed through his mind almost quicker than he could deal with, he turned and ran for the woods, where they all kept spare clothing which they'd hidden in cases of emergency or accidental phases.

Paul watched as Jacob left before glancing to Sam and then turning and following his packmate, returning not too long later wearing jeans and shoes.

"Why'd he stop?" Sam asked before he'd even reached his packmates.

"He saw everything through the mind link; he saw I was telling the truth. I don't how or why, but I _did_ imprint on Hermione."

"That's not possible," Embry muttered.

"But it's true," he shrugged, walking over to the remains of his clothing and sighing. "The shirt I was wearing, Hermione leant it to me, it was Harry's."

"Maybe she can fix it, she's a witch," Leah offered in a rare moment of kindness. A _very_ rare moment, her words earning concerned glances from the others.

"I don't think it's repairable, she's going to be so upset."

"Forget the damn shirt for a minute, tell us exactly what happened," Sam instructed.

Paul crossed over to them and sat on the ground and Quil silently opened the picnic basket, rummaging through the contents, everyone watching him silently.

"What?" He mumbled with a sandwich half stuffed into his mouth. "You know you all want a sandwich, too." He said. They rolled their eyes at him but did take a sandwich from the basket.

"Explain," Sam ordered, spying Jacob approaching in human form and dressed.

"I saw it," Jacob said, taking a seat on the sand. "He's telling the truth, I _felt_ everything, it felt exactly like how I felt when I imprinted."

"How did it happen?"

"I switched shifts with Embry and I heard screaming," Paul spoke.

"I heard it, too; I was half a mile away from their tent," Embry cut in.

"What happened?" Seth asked worriedly.

"Nightmares. I thought she was being attacked so I ran to her, there was no one there and I found Hermione in her room," his face pulled into a frown. "She's keeping a _lot_ from us."

"I don't blame her, she's been through a war and she's _still_ under threat," Quil shrugged.

"You don't understand. After the war Hermione couldn't cope with the death of her friends and family, she lost almost everyone and that took its toll on her and she suffered for it," he said as calmly as he could manage, not wishing to divulge Hermione's secrets knowing how much strength it had taken for her to speak to him about it, or how much trust she'd had in him to confess to him. "She confessed some things, things that I don't want to repeat or think about, and we spoke a little more about her past, until she took me to a meadow she'd seen in Seth's thoughts. When I kissed her, I imprinted."

Their eyes darted between him and Jacob, all looking just as confused as he felt.

"How's that even possible?" Embry spoke aloud. "Two wolves imprinting on the same girl?"

"And why did it take Jacob looking at her and Paul kissing her?" Jared threw in.

"I said she was special," Paul shrugged his shoulders. "I've said since day one she would be a part of our lives. Maybe my wolf could sense it, that she was my imprint. She _is_ different, she calms me, I've never felt so..."

"Non-volatile?"

"No longer a volcano?"

"Not going to phase?"

"Rip someone's head off?"

"Piss off," Paul scowled and they laughed at him.

"Maybe it's because she's a witch," a voice piped up thoughtfully. Their laughter subsided and they turned to look at Collin.

"What'd you say, Pipsqueak?"

He scowled at the name. "I said, maybe it's because she's a witch. She's different, she has magic, maybe it had something to do with that," he shrugged, them all staring at him thoughtfully.

Was he right? Could it be true? They may never know.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Wednesday 8th October 2006**

Hermione landed with a crack on the dirt road leading to the Cullen's house, she walked up the road and before she could make her way up the steps and ring the bell, the door was opened and she was pulled inside.

"I've been waiting _all_ day for you to arrive," Alice said as she crushed her in a hug.

"Alice, can't breathe," Hermione's voice was strained.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, jumping back from her and then taking her hand and dragging her through the house and into the living room.

They chuckled when Hermione held a finger up, gesturing for them to give her a moment whilst her breathing returned to normal before she greeted them all with a smile.

"I can't believe you're a witch _and_ a wolf," Emmet laughed.

"I haven't always been a wolf spirit," she replied.

"You haven't?" Edward asked intrigued.

"No, I used to be an otter. Our spirit animal can change when a person has gone through a significant emotional change or a difficult time."

"Also know as war," Jasper muttered knowingly and she nodded.

"Will you show us some magic? _Real_ magic, no parlour tricks," Emmet asked.

"What d'you expect me to do, pull a rabbit from of a hat?" She raised an eyebrow and they chuckled. "You'll see plenty enough magic this evening."

"This evening?" He questioned.

"We have training,"

"What will we see?" Jasper was the first to ask, sitting up straight from his previous position of relaxing back into the cushions of the couch, his expression curious but determined and serious.

"Duelling, you'll see how we fight in battle," she shrugged her shoulders. "And I know this a stupid question, but do you have any questions about magic?"

"Healing, what can you heal?" Carlisle immediately asked before anyone else had the chance and smiled in amusement, crossing to sit beside Alice on the couch.

"We can heal far more than muggles are able to. We have a cure for the common cold but it takes a day to take effect or a potion can be taken when symptoms are presented and it'll clear them up and fight off the virus before it has time to take full effect," she explained and his expression was one of disbelieving wonder. "We've creams and potions that heal cuts, burns and abrasions, potions that replenish blood, so there's no need for a blood transfusion, potions that can re-grow bones entirely, potions that can help restore the minds of the elderly, potions that can eliminate paralysis, depending on the damage. We even have a Hangover and Sobriety Potion, which with Sirius, gets a _lot_ of use in my house."

They snorted at her as Carlisle asked, "Why aren't these treatments brought here and given to the..."

"Muggles?" She supplied and he nodded. "A few reasons actually, the first being that after the witch trials, magical folk and muggles were at war, they hated each other. As a result, a treaty was brought into place, the Statutory of Secrecy, and this sealed the Wizarding and Muggle World off from each other. All knowledge of magic was wiped from the minds of muggles and we retreated to our own world, our own communities. If we introduce our healing methods, it will break the treaty and a war will surely happen because muggles are scared of us, of what we can do. Secondly, muggle and magical DNA is different. I'm still human but my blood has magic in it. Magical healing can only be done on those with magic in their blood, and to be honest, there isn't a lot after the war. Thousands of Muggleborns and Half-bloods were murdered, killing off generations of magic to come. The healing would be ineffective," she explained. He looked disappointed but nodded understandingly.

"Dragons," Emmet exclaimed. "Tell me about dragons," he grinned.

"They breathe _fire_ ," she rolled her eyes, knowing exactly why he wished to know about them. "You wouldn't be able to get anyone near one, Charlie, on the other hand..."

"Charlie?" Esme asked softly after Hermione's voice tapered off without finishing her sentence.

"He's the second eldest son of the Weasleys. Before the war, he was a dragon tamer. We've hidden reserves around the world, protecting and nursing injured dragons back to health before they're released again. As I've mentioned before, they're protected due to the difficulty of breeding them."

"Have there been other wars?" Jasper asked, being the war fanatic he was.

"Yes, there has. There's been a number of Goblin Rebellions throughout history but the most known and volatile wars took place in 1612, 1752 and 1894. And the Giant Wars happened between 1815 and 1821. Then there was Gellert Grindelwald; he was defeated in 1945 by Albus Dumbledore. He believed that those that possessed magic were better than those that did not, he wanted to dissolve the Statutory of Secrecy and rule over muggles as the superior species. He mainly kept to Europe but stayed away from Britain. It lasted for years until he was defeated. The First Wizarding War was Voldemort, which you already know about and he was defeated by Harry Potter at the age of one, and the Second Wizarding War, he was killed by Harry Potter at the age of seventeen," she explained, her voice falling quiet.

"Why aren't you afraid of us?" Rosalie asked.

Hermione took a breath, being relieved for the change in topic. "I _know_ you won't hurt me, my blood doesn't appeal to you, you've been nothing but kind to me and you're not actually that dangerous," she answered with a shrug. Emmet snorted in disagreement with her words. "I have magic that can knock you flat on your back before you'd have the chance to blink. I can disappear and reappear miles away within the blink of an eye. And now I can shift into a wolf, too, pretty handy."

He smirked at her. "Want to test that theory?"

"We will at training this evening where we won't damage Esme's lovely couch," Hermione said, patting the leather cushion beside her and Esme smiled at her gratefully. "I've been meaning to ask you something, what exactly where you doing in the woods the night I found you. There's no point in lying to me either; I'll know. I can read minds, too, and I won't hesitate to do it."

"She plays dirty," Emmet laughed. "I like it," he grinned, giving her a proud look.

Hermione's eyes searched each of the Cullens before they relented and told her everything that had happened the previous year, about Victoria and the happenings in Seattle.

"I know about the Volturi," she nodded, her brow creasing into a thoughtful frown. "They're referenced in some of my books, it's interesting they haven't done anything about the attacks in Seattle, unless they already know and don't deem it important enough yet, _or_ , they have allowed it."

"They wouldn't do that," Carlisle defended with a frown.

"Maybe, maybe not," she shrugged. "Either way, something big _is_ going to happen and it's going to happen soon. I can feel it; I've gotten quite good at spotting danger."

"I'm sure you have," Jasper said quietly.

"I'll help you with this Victoria problem, you're helping me with mine, so I'll return the favour."

"It's too dang..."

"Edward Cullen, I swear, if you even attempt to tell me it's too dangerous, I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of," she glared, her hair sparking with little bolts of magic, the others sniggering when he silently nodded, his wide eyes watching her. "I can erect wards around Swan's house, they'll prevent anyone that is not supposed to be there from entering and they'll protect anyone that is inside the house."

"That'll be very helpful, thank you," Esme smiled softly.

"As for the Seattle problem, we'll just have to monitor the situation. Better yet, have a look. I need to head into Seattle anyway."

"What for?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I need some more potion ingredients, Seattle's the only Wizarding Community for miles," she shrugged.

"But you're in hiding, what if someone sees you?"

"I can cast Glamour Charms, change my hair and eye colour, change my voice, my height, my nose. I can do anything I need to do to alter my appearance so no one will recognise me."

"So why not do this all the time?" Rosalie questioned.

"I can't, the spells wear off after a few hours, I'll have to keep recasting them and my magical signature is traceable, they'll know it's me as soon as they catch my trail. I might as well stay me, I'm going to be tracked and there's nothing I can do. The wards around the tent will keep them out for a little while before they're eventually dismantled and we've given ourselves a good few months. They'll find me and then we'll fight."

"You seem too calm about this," Jasper noted.

"If I die, I die. At least I'll be with my family in the afterlife."

"There's no such thing," Emmet scoffed.

"There is," Hermione disagreed without hesitation. "What do you think ghosts are? They're spirits that didn't let go when they should've and are grounded to the earth. The afterlife _does_ exist, at least for magical folk."

"How can you talk about dying so freely?" Alice whispered.

She sighed, reaching up to push her hair back from her face. "I've been expecting to die since I met Harry, to be honest. I'm the only surviving member of 'The Golden Trio' and I hate that I'm left alone. It's wrong being here without them by my side, without them arguing over whether Ron cheated at Wizard's Chess or if Harry said Ron deserved to be attacked by birds," her eyes had glazed over.

"Hermione, what's Wizard's Chess?" Edward asked her, seeing the change in her posture, as well as Jasper grimacing and he pulled her from her memories.

"Oh right, I brought you a set." She searched her beaded bag before pulling it out, setting it up on the coffee table for them. "It moves itself, you command it and it'll do it. I think it's barbaric," she scrunched her nose up.

"Why?" Esme asked curiously.

"Jasper, Edward?" Hermione gestured to the chessboard with a wave of her hand and they shared a glance before shrugging their shoulders, each turning their eyes and attention to the chessboard.

Jasper moved his first piece, a pawn, and Edward moved his knight. It was several minutes later when Jasper's queen, took Edward's knight and they all watched as the queen stood from her throne, picked it up and hit the knight over the head, sending the piece flying off the board and smashing against the floor into pieces.

"That's why," Hermione sighed.

Jasper, Emmet and Edward shared wide grins "Awesome," they chorused and she shook her head. As they continued with the game, Hermione's eyes moved to Alice, her gaze trailing her small body thoughtfully and she tipped her head to the side.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alice asked, as everyone turned to look between the two.

"There's something different about you," Hermione frowned. "I've never noticed it before but I can see it now," she tilted her head the other way.

"What?"

"A glow," she mused. "Do you happen to have an ability?"

" _How_ did you know that?" Carlisle asked curiously, sharing a glance with Edward.

"I can _see_ it, it's in her aura. What is it?"

"I can see various outcomes of the future, only seeing the true outcome when the person has made a decision," Alice answered. 

Hermione's eyes widened, her mouth parted slightly and she stood from the couch, rising to her full height as she reached for her wand, pulling it from beneath her sleeve.

"What is it, Dear?" Esme asked confused.

"Alice, don't move," Hermione muttered, raising her wand and aiming it at the pixie-like vampire, muttering beneath her breath and moving her wand in complicated and intricate patterns. Moments later, Hermione's mutterings stopped as a tiny soft green ball of light appeared, no bigger than a golf ball, and it hovered before Alice's chest.

" _What_ is that?"Jasper questioned, his concern evident as he started at the green ball of light.

"Oh, Alice, I'm sorry," Hermione said softly.

"Why? What is it?" She frowned.

"It's your magical signature," she answered. "Or what used to be your magical signature; it's dead now."

"I don't have a magical signature."

"You do,"

"Are you saying that before Alice's transformation she was a witch, like you?" Carlisle seemed to understand her.

"I am," she nodded, the already silent room growing more so, the only sound being her own breathing and heartbeat. "That ball of light isn't large enough to be associated with a witch and the colour's off, too. I'm betting you were a Squib but you had enough magic in you to give you _some_ magical ability. Not enough to cast spells, but certainly enough to receive visions. Did you have visions before becoming a vampire?"

"Yes, I was put into a mental institution before I was changed."

"I'm sorry, Alice, the results indicate that you _were_ a Squib, but not just any Squib, a Squib with Seer abilities. Seers are quite rare in the Wizarding World. It can't be forced or learned, a child has to be born with the ability, but it isn't hereditary, no one knows how or why they get their abilities, they just do. You were a Seer before changing and therefore you have brought that through with you, the vampire venom in your system magnifying your power," she explained, retaking her seat on the couch as they stared at her in disbelief. "It's a rare occurrence, only fifty percent of the magical population is appealing to vampires. Thirty-four percent that are bitten die because vampires can't control themselves, ten percent die because the venom kills the victim, four percent actually change, one percent are affected by the venom in some way but survive, and the final one percent survive. You're part of that four percent, Alice, although that might be because you were a Squib and your magic wasn't strong enough to fight the venom off."

"Does that mean that my parents were magical?" She whispered.

"Yes, what was your maiden name and where do you originate from?"

"Mary Alice Brandon, Mississippi."

Hermione's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "I'll do some research, I've a few books that contain the family trees of the Wizarding World, mostly Europe, but I'm sure I have one for the United States as well, I'll do some digging and see what I can find for you." As they continued to watch her, she turned her eyes to Jasper. "Jasper Whitlock," she frowned. "Where do you originate from?"

"Houston, why?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Both my fathers and I have heard the name before but we can't remember where we've heard it," she shrugged. "What did you do before meeting the Cullens?"

"I was part of the Southern Vampire War," he admitted.

Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Of course," she muttered, hitting her palm against her forehead. "Why didn't I piece it together before? Now I know where I've heard your name, in school during my history of magic class. Jasper Whitlock is one of the most feared vampires in the Southern Vampire Wars, you were the second in command for Maria Rivera, you were..."

"What'd you just say?" Jasper asked quickly, interrupting her.

"You were second in command for Maria Rivera," she repeated confused.

" _How_ did you know that?"

"You're mentioned in some of my books and..."

"No, how did you know her name? I spent decades with her and knew nothing more than her name being Maria."

Hermione frowned. "She's mentioned in my books but you're far more famous in my world," she answered, surprising him with her words. "From what I can remember, her name's Maria Rivera, she was turned in 1793 at the age of nineteen and her former coven was destroyed by another in 1861. As revenge, she created her own army of newborns to track down the coven. That's all I know. There's far more information written about you, I'm not sure if it's true though."

"I can't believe I'm mentioned in a book," he commented, amazed by the revelation.

"More than one, _Vampire Tales_ , _A Vampire's Monologue_ , _Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst Vampires_ and _Voyages with Vampires,_ ignore the last one though, it's utter bollocks." They gawked at her and Emmet's laughter boomed throughout the house. "What? It is. It was written by Gilderoy Lockhart, he was my defence against the dark arts professor my second year of school. He was useless and ended up in St. Mungo's six years ago after trying to wipe Harry and Ron's memories, instead, the spell backfired and he can't even remember his own name now," she shrugged. "He deserved it; he was a right nasty piece of work. He'd wipe people's minds and steal credit for everything they'd accomplished and as they couldn't remember, they couldn't do anything about it, he was a fraud."

"Is anyone else mentioned in your books?" Edward asked.

"Victoria isn't," she answered knowingly. "Carlisle, possibly under the animal diet section, you can have a look if you'd wish to."

"At your books? You'd give us access to your books?" Jasper looked far too happy and she laughed.

"Yes, I'll have the wards removed around the tamer books; you'll likely get through a lot of them whilst the pack eats their dinner," she replied, her attention immediately snapping to Rosalie after she'd snarled at the mention of them. "Don't be snarling," Hermione scolded. "They don't particularly like you either but they've agreed to tolerate you. You're not just helping to protect me and my fathers, you'll need protecting also, as will the pack. We all have to work together in order to make sure there are no blind spots. Blind spots get you killed and that's all fine and dandy for those with practically indestructible bodies, but us humans bleed. Hell, I bruise just _thinking_ about getting hit with a _Flipendo_."

Emmet laughed at her. "What's a _Flipendo_?" He asked.

"It's a Knock-back Jinx and if enough force is put behind it, it'll knock you back a good ten feet and if there's a tree behind you, it'll hurt. Well, maybe not for _you_ , but for everyone else it'll be painful."

"We will agree to work with the pack," Esme promised with a smile and looking at her children expectantly, them all begrudgingly mumbling their agreements.

"Thank you,"

"Any other witchy spells that'll hurt?" Emmet asked.

"Thousands," she didn't specify. "Now, it's getting late and my fathers will be back soon, so I better head home and make sure everything's set for this evening."

"Where are your fathers?" Esme asked politely.

"Exploring the woods, we each do it a few times a day. When we're found, it's best that we know our surroundings."

"A home-court advantage," Jasper agreed, nodding thoughtfully and approvingly. "You'll be able to use your environment against them."

"Exactly, we've created a map. So far we've found a stream, a cave which we haven't yet explored, a few fallen trees which are helpful and a few tunnels dug by animals which we can use as well."

"How?" He asked intrigued.

"We can set traps in the tunnels, spells that react to a certain pressure or at a certain time. We can shrink things down and hide them or use some of our Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products."

"The what?" Rosalie frowned.

"Fred and George Weasley, I've spoken about them before."

She nodded. "The mischief twins," she confirmed.

Hermione smiled sadly. "I was always on their case and giving them detentions but after my parents died, they were the only people apart from my fathers that could make me laugh, make me see I had something to fight for. Whilst everyone else was focused on Harry and the war, the twins took time out of their schedule to just sit with me, even if it was in silence. I'd grown up with them, Mrs. Weasley practically raised me so I've always seen them as brotherss, but after my parents died everything changed and we grew closer. The twins left school without graduating to set up their shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. I remember going there the summer before sixth year, it was one of the most magical places I'd seen," she smiled widely. "Whilst the rest of the alley was dark and gloomy, their shop was the beacon of light. People didn't want to leave their homes in fear, yet they did just to get a glimpse of their shop. They're the most famous brand of joke products in Europe. Not only do they do joke products but they're so ingenious, they even have their own line of beauty products and they secretly made defence items for the Order to use during battle," she spoke proudly.

"You speak of them fondly," Carlisle noted.

"Yes," she whispered, her wide smile saddening. "They're two of the most amazing people I've ever met. They were the happiness in the war. When they went into hiding, they set up a radio station called Potter Watch where they informed civilians of the ongoings of the war; those that had been captured, those that had gone missing, those that had been rescued, those that had died. It was the only connection we had to home, and thanks to them, we knew which areas to avoid, they likely saved our lives many times that year and they don't even know it."

"I'm sure you'll see them again someday," Esme said softly.

"George, maybe I will. Fred's likely dead; when I left he'd been crushed under a wall at the Final Battle, their older brother Percy had died instantly. Ginny, Ron and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley died, too. The rest of the Weasleys, Bill and his wife, and Charlie went into hiding," she whispered, sadness creeping in and Jasper released a wince. Hearing it, Hermione looked up in alarm. "I'm sorry, I'll see you later. Just wait outside the wards and I'll collect you," she muttered, standing from the couch, turning on her heel and apparating out of the house.

Jasper's relief was evident as he released a sigh and leaned back into the couch cushions.

"That poor child," Esme whispered.

"She's not a child, she's a soldier and a survivor," Jasper corrected.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 15

**Wednesday 8th October 2006**

"Hermione!" Paul's voice called as he stepped into the tent.

She looked over her shoulder as she set her book back on the bookcase and she smiled brightly. "Hey," she greeted and he smiled in response.

"The others are waiting outside," he told her with a tip of his head and his hands casually stuffed into his jean pockets.

Nodding at his words, she placed her final book back on the bookcase before heading for the entrance, stepping outside and crossing through the wards.

She was greeted by a chorused "Whoa," from Brady and Collin and she smiled at them, a light laugh leaving her.

"You haven't seen anything yet," she promised.

"Sam said you live here, but I don't see anything," Collin frowned.

"That's because I have magic protecting my home, it will stop anyone I don't want to from getting in. For you to get through, I need you to give me your finger," she said and they didn't hesitate, offering her their index fingers. "I'm going to make a small cut but it won't hurt," she promised, lifting her wand just as the Cullens arrived and she saw the pack immediately stiffen and move closer to her as if they could protect her by surrounding her. 

She rolled her eyes at the gesture, as sweet as it was, it was far from needed; one, the Cullens weren't a threat to her and two, she was more than capable of taking care of herself which they'd soon see.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked with a raised eyebrow whilst the others looked to the two thirteen-year-olds in confusion; as far as they were aware, there were only eight wolves, not ten.

"Giving them access through the wards," she replied.

"Do we get access?"

"I'm sorry, but no, I can't give you access. These are blood wards, only those whose blood I key into them can have access and as vampires don't bleed you can only be given access if you are with a resident of the tent, myself or my fathers. If I could give you access I would," she said softly.

She didn't see the smug, pleased expressions the pack sent to the Cullens with two wolves, in particular, taking great pleasure at her words.

"It's only a small cut, you'll barely feel it," she told Collin and Brady before making a small incision on their index fingers and stepping back, turning towards the wards and muttering beneath her breath as she moved her wand in complication patterns. "Wipe your blood against the ground," she instructed and they crouched down, doing as they asked. The ground glowed as it had before and moved to settle around the two young wolves before fading. "Now step forward," she said, the pack passing through the wards easily and then she turned to the Cullens. "Same drill as last time," she said, waiting until everyone was touching before they stepped through the wards.

"That wasn't there before," Brady commented confused.

"You live in a tent?" Collin frowned.

"Have a look inside," she gestured to the tent with a tip of her head, a smile pulling at her mouth as they looked to each other, shrugged and then darted towards the tent.

"AWESOME!"

Hermione laughed lightly with the pack and Cullens snorting and chuckling, knowing exactly how they were feeling as they'd been through it only the night before.

Brady exited the tent with bright eyes and a large grin. "It's bigger on the inside!" He exclaimed excitedly before darting back inside.

Hermione smiled sadly. "The innocence of youth," she sighed. "Alright, let's go in."

When they'd all entered the tent and stood in the opened planned area, it was to the sight of the two young teens laughing loudly as a large black dog ran circles around them, jumping up at them excitedly as he barked and yipped. Hermione smiled but rolled her eyes, Sirius' behaviour not surprising her in the least. He'd often done the same with her and Harry.

"You have a dog?" Collin grinned.

"No, I have a father, Sirius," she replied amused.

They frowned in confusion before their attention was pulled back to the large dog that released a bark, stood on his back legs and then a man stood where the dog had once. Despite their own intimidating appearance and size, they were still young teenage boys and they both took a step back at the sight of him in his black clothing and his sleeve tattoos uncovered. When Sirius graced them with a large and cheesy grin, they visibly relaxed.

"You're just like us," Brady smiled.

"That I am, Pup," Sirius grinned. "Except I don't turn into a _giant_ wolf, just a large dog, Hermione, on the other hand, you know, come to think of it, I haven't seen your form yet," he frowned thoughtfully.

"Later," she promised. "Collin, Brady, this is my other father, Remus," she gestured to him with a wave of her hand as he stepped into the room and he smiled at them in greeting.

"Are you like us, too?" Collin asked him.

"Not exactly, I'm a werewolf."

"Cool," they chorused in a whisper, Remus shaking his head lightly and chuckling at their wide-eyed awed reaction.

"We'll have dinner before we start training, just give me a moment to deactivate the wards on some of the books for the Cullens."

Hermione crossed over to the bookcases and she muttered beneath her breath as she ran the tip of her wand over a selection of books until she stepped back and a neon glow swallowed her up, it slowly fading to nothing.

"That's done; I've deactivated the wards on the books that won't cause injury. If you feel a tingle or electric shock, you can't touch those particular books as they're warded as they may kill you," she said seriously and they all gawked at her, unsure of whether or not to believe her.

"Let's eat," she clapped her hands together and made her way over to the dining table, being followed by her fathers and the pack. Hermione and her fathers levitated the food onto the table -much to the amazement of Collin and Brady-, as they took their seats, picked up their knives and forks and began eating, conversation flowing easy and with Hermione answering all questions put to her as honestly as she could.

"So you actually _fly_ on brooms?" Sam asked amused.

"Well, I'm rubbish at it, terrified actually, call me crazy, but I like my feet on the ground and not dangling two hundred feet above the ground where I can plummet to my death."

Remus chuckled. "She's a lot better than she used to be, she struggled to command her broom into her hand, all you have to do is stand over it and say 'up'," he said and she scowled at him. "Flying classes were the only thing Hermione failed."

"Shut up," she muttered. "And I didn't fail, I passed," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest childishly.

"Barely," Sirius laughed. They shared amused glances, some of them even smirking at her.

"I don't need to fly, it's not like I play Quidditch."

"What's Quidditch?" Emmet piped up from across the room and they all looked to him. "There's several books about it over here."

"It's a sport," Sirius answered.

"You have sports?" He asked excitedly.

"Of course we do, Quidditch is the most popular and it has its own leagues and World Cup, it's the equivalent of the Superbowl and the Olympics combined," she said.

"What is Quidditch? How is played?" Jared asked her before Emmet could and they all stared at her expectantly.

"It's basically baseball, basketball and dodgeball all wrapped up in one game, and it all takes place two hundred feet in the air on brooms," she shrugged, receiving silent stares in response as they struggled to comprehend a sport being played in such a manner. "There's four balls in play, a quaffle which is essentially the basketball, two bludgers which are used as dodgeballs that can cause serious injuries of broken bones, as well as being powerful enough to knock on an opponent off their broom, they're not pleasant. And there's the golden snitch which is smaller than a golf ball, it has wings and it flies about the pitch faster than anything you've seen."

"There's seven players on a team," Sirius happily picked up the conversation, allowing Hermione to eat her dinner quietly. "There's one Keeper who is responsible for guarding the three hoops, there's three Chasers who are the only players besides the Keeper who're allowed to handle the quaffle. The aim of the sport is to get the quaffle through the opposing team's hoops. There's two Beaters, who are responsible for protecting their teammates from bludgers, using their bats to hit the bludgers towards the opposing players, knocking them off their brooms. And finally, there's one Seeker, who has to find and catch the golden snitch before the other team's Seeker. Catching the snitch is worth one hundred and fifty points; a quaffle through the hoops is worth ten points. The game only ends when the snitch has been caught or if it is agreed upon by both Captains," he finished, amused by their excited, amazed expressions.

"What if the snitch isn't caught?" Seth asked.

"Then you don't stop playing," Sirius answered. "The longest match on record lasted for three _months_ before the snitch was finally caught. They had to keep swapping out players every few hours so they could rest and eat," he shrugged, snorting at their wider than usual eyes.

"That's awesome, I think I may have a new favourite sport," Emmet grinned.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You haven't even seen it."

"But it sounds awesome," he argued.

"I've memories from school, there were four teams, one for each house and they played against one another for the House Cup. Gryffindor won the Quidditch House Cup my third, fifth _and_ sixth year. I even have memories from the Quidditch World Cup that I was dragged to see four years ago. Ireland won," Hermione shrugged. "That's a _lot_ of Quidditch matches, from what I remember, even I can admit there's a few good ones, too, and I'm not fond of the sport."

"Like?" Jared probed.

"Well, in school Harry was scouted our first year. There's usually a rule which prevents students from trying out until their second year, but Harry was such an amazing flyer, he had such a gift for it, he was exempt and that made him the youngest Seeker in a century to play on a house team. Fred and George were Beaters for the team, too; they were brilliant. Harry's first-ever game, he jumped off his broom to catch the snitch and he hit the ground," she explained, Esme's soft gasp of concern filling the silence as they stared in surprise.

"He missed?" Seth sounded disappointed.

Hermione broke into laughter, shaking her head. "No, he only bloody caught it in his _mouth_. We all thought he was going to be sick, and then he just spits it out and catches it before holding it up for everyone to see as if it were an everyday occurrence."

"Any more?" Collin practically bounced in his seat.

"Third third year, Harry caught the snitch in five minutes, it was the shortest game of Quidditch in history. No one even scored, it was a just a straight win."

"Awesome!"

"Don't forget the time Harry cursed Malfoy," Remus injected with a partial smirk and Hermione and Sirius sniggered.

"I could _never_ forget that and I don't want to, it made my day."

"What happened?" Jasper questioned, being amused by their reaction to the werewolf's words.

"Harry was affected by the dementors, they were drawn to him and he always fainted as a result. Malfoy and his lackeys cruelly teased him for it, not giving a toss over the fact it was a serious matter. Alpha was teaching Harry the Patronus Charm so he could defend himself against the dementors, and one happened to show during a Quidditch match. Harry panicked and cast the charm, only for it to be discovered that it wasn't a dementor but Malfoy and his lackeys, who'd dressed up as one and flown onto the pitch on a broom. They were in the hospital wing for a few days and earned detention for a month, it was brilliant," she grinned and they snorted at her.

"You're missing out the part where later in the year, you broke Malfoy's nose," Sirius inputted, giving her a proud smile.

"You did what?" Alice asked, blinking slowly in surprise.

Hermione grinned sheepishly. "I may have punched Malfoy in the nose and broke it," she admitted. They stared at her dubiously before snorts and sniggers erupted throughout the room and Paul graced her with a proud look.

The conversation continued to flow as they returned to their food, only to be interrupted by a profanity cursing Emmet. Turning to look at him, they saw him wrestling with a book that had teeth and it was snapping at him, trying to bite his face. In all honesty, Emmet had super strength so he could've easily detained the book, but given the situation, it was likely he was just panicking, being surprised beyond belief that a book was physically trying to eat him, that he'd forgotten that fact. The vampires and shifters burst into laughter, Rosalie leading the charge and not looking the least bit bothered, rather, she appeared to be enjoying herself immensely.

Sharing a glance, Hermione and Remus darted from their chairs from the dining table and over to Emmet, Hermione giving his much larger form a shove which prompted him to drop the book to the ground. It wriggled across the floor, its mouth snapping as it headed for the exit to the tent and Remus dived on it, trapping it against the floor whilst he was dragged around the room. By this point, everyone was in hysterics, struggling to find the words to speak, the shape-shifters had watering eyes and struggled to breathe and Seth held his hands against his ribs, complaining of the pain through his tears of laughter.

Hermione sprang over the coffee table, landing on the other side and she dived to the floor, helping Remus to pin the book to the ground before she lifted her hand and ran her fingers down the spine of the book.

"Shhh, there's a good book," she cooed and the book purred in response before quietly settling down.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Emmet questioned horrified, such an occasion being a candidate for a nightmare if he were able to sleep.

The laughter in the room slowly tapered off with sighs and deep breaths, some of the shape-shifters leaning back in their chairs and others wiping at their eyes. Hermione and Remus climbed to their feet, both looking a little tousled and whilst Remus brushed down his clothing and ran a hand through his hair, Hermione held the book in her arm, as she continued to stroke the spine, the book purring in delight.

"That's a good Monster Book of Monsters," she cooed softly and the book visibly shivered in her hold, releasing a growling noise that was a display of pleasure. "This is the Monster Book of Monsters, she's a little temperamental," she answered Emmet, looking to him.

"Temperamental? Temperamental! It almost took my head off; you didn't tell me books moved," he replied, his voice a little higher than his usual baritone.

"She wouldn't have hurt you," she sniffed indignantly and lifting her chin. "You didn't _ask_ if they could move and she isn't a dangerous book if you know how to handle her. And you wanted to wrestle a dragon," she scoffed. "You can't even handle a harmless book."

"Harmless? Harmless! It almost took my head off!" He exclaimed. Rosalie's laughter was loud, the shape-shifters partially smirking and the Cullens looked amused.

"She did not," she huffed.

"Stop calling it a _she_ , it's a _book_!"

The book growled loudly and Emmet's face morphed into terror and he took a huge step back despite him not being anywhere near it.

" _She_ has feelings," Hermione sniffed before she turned and crossed over to the table, retaking her seat and placing the book beside her on the surface, one hand reaching for her fork and the other continued to stroke the book's spine, the book shivered, its four eyes fluttering closed and it released a purring sound.

"That's a little weird," Embry commented, eyeing the book strangely. "Do all of your books try to maim?" He smirked.

"No, only some," she nodded and they snorted. "Not all of our books move or kill. But some...You should see the books containing weather magic."

Sirius whistled loudly in agreement. "Those can be a right pain in the arse," he nodded in agreement.

"I once opened a book based on the element of water, I almost flooded the entire school library," Remus admitted with a sheepish smile.

"I can imagine Madam Pince's response," she winced. "My fourth year, I opened a book based on dragons, the image of the dragon breathed _actual_ fire, it almost set my hair ablaze," she confessed and they laughed at her, amused but surprised. "And my fifth year, I opened a book in Sirius' library based on magical creatures, there happened to be a spirit inside and I released it. It took days to catch it and put it back."

"Good times, good times," Sirius sighed.

"Good times?" Hermione questioned incredulously. She honestly questioned his sanity sometimes. "The bloody menace glued all of the furniture in my bedroom to the ceiling, it turned Mr. Weasley into a goldfish and it put fire whiskey in Mrs. Weasley's stew so everyone was drunk by the end of dinner. Not to mention, it set fire to Tonks' robes, put a Lust Potion in Snape's cup of tea, _and_ , it hid Remus' chocolates," she reminded him and their guests could do nothing but gawk.

"It was a shame he had to go," Sirius said sadly.

"Sometimes I question your sanity," she eyed him carefully and they chuckled when he gave her a cheesy grin.

"There's nothing wrong with me," he argued.

"I beg to differ,"

"I second that," Remus raised his hand slightly.

"You're just jealous you're not as pretty as me," Sirius flicked his hair over his shoulder dramatically and batted his eyelashes.

"Is there something in your eye?" Hermione asked innocently, everyone sniggering and snorting at them.

"The more time I spend with you, the more I like you," Jared grinned.

"Not so bad yourself, Kid," Sirius winked.

"Oi! Stop flirting with teenagers," Remus scowled.

"Relax, Moony, I'm a taken wizard." He flung his arm around his shoulders and Hermione laughed.

" _Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live,_ Emerett Picardy," Alice's tinkling voice cut through the chatter as they ate dessert.

"What?" Hermione said quickly.

"That's what this book says. _Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live_ , Emerett Picardy," the pixie-vampire repeated in confusion, the book held in her hands as she stared down at it from her place beside the bookcases.

They all stared in surprise when Hermione stood up so fast her chair toppled to the ground, and she stormed over to Alice, took the book from her and with a fierce glare, she walked over to the fireplace and threw it in, watching in satisfaction as the flames greedily took the offering.

"Hermione, you shouldn't have done that," Remus said quietly.

"No, I should've practised my curses on it instead!" She growled. "How the bloody hell did that book even get in here? Is there any more prejudiced bullshite in these bookcases?" She stormed back over to the bookcase, her clenched hands resting on her hips, her eyes narrowed furiously as she scanned each title before her.

"I'm going to change," Remus muttered, standing from the dining table and disappearing down the corridor as everyone watched in silence.

"Snowflake," Sirius spoke softly. "You won't find anything, there's _thousands_ of books there, it's why we missed it." He stood from the table and made his way over to her, the pack soon following after him and gathering in the living room.

"He's _not_ a monster. He's a human being and if there's ever a person that deserves to have a life, to be treated with respect and kindness, it's him. He's _never_ hurt anyone. He's terrified of himself, he hates himself because bastards like Emerett Picardy have done nothing but publish prejudice pieces of shite, depicting werewolves as monsters. If they had the facts, if they could be bothered to get off their lazy arses and do the research, if they stopped being the pissing cowards they are and _speak_ to a werewolf, they'd learn the truth. He is not a monster," she spat furiously.

Her eyes lit with fire, her hands were clenched tightly until her knuckles went white, her hair sparked with golden bolts of magic and the furniture, items and photos in the room began to rattle and shake.

"What's happening?" Brady asked, frightened.

Hearing his frightened tone, Hermione's eyes snapped to him and once she saw the scared expressions of the two youngest wolves, as well as the concerned and freaked out expressions of the others in the room, she forced her magic down and regained control, the shaking of items stopping as she released a slow breath.

"He's not a monster. He's a good and kind man that deserves far better than the treatment he receives," she whispered in defeat, looking exhausted as she held her father's gaze.

"I know, Snowflake, I know," he said softly.

"It just makes me so angry to see him hurting because of what people say about him. A werewolf is not who he is, he is Remus, just Remus."

"I know," he muttered, reaching out and gently pulling her into him, wrapping her in a protective and comforting hug as he rocked them slightly. No one dared speak after what they'd witnessed, they'd never seen her so angry. They'd never seen _anyone_ that angry.

"I'm going to change," she whispered, pulling back from his hold and disappearing down the corridor.

"What just happened?" Sam asked, his eyes darting between the corridor and Sirius warily.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair before folding his arms across his chest. " _That_ was Hermione losing control of her magic. When a magical child is born, they'll have outbursts of magic usually between the ages of five to eleven. Understandably, these outbursts aren't controlled and they're caused by strong emotions. My first act of magic was to set my mother's robes on fire," he grinned. "Still proud of it, Merlin, I _hated_ that woman," he sighed. "Anyway, when a child reaches the age of eleven and before they attend school, they are taken to purchase a wand. Wands are quasi-sentient, they choose who the perfect witch or wizard is for them, it will be made specifically for the child and it will only work to its full potential for that child. Wands aid with focus and the intention of spell casting, but they also channel magic, magnifying and controlling all spell work."

"Due to this, once a wand is purchased, magical outbursts generally stop. However, if an emotion is felt strongly, if it's powerful enough to override the controlling measures of the wand, particularly if the witch or wizard is powerful, outbursts can still occur. Hermione's incredibly gifted with magic, we suspect it partially has something to due to her being a Muggleborn, her magic is new and strong, undiluted by generations of inbreeding. She's one of the most powerful witches we've met, particularly for her age, and her emotions are tied into her magic. She feels strongly, more than most," he said, briefly being interrupted by Jasper's hum of agreement. "And she is susceptible to such outbursts or loss of control. She appears to be most affected by happiness and anger," he finished, glancing around the room to see them all staring at him silently, some more surprised than others. "And now I'll you warn you all as I may not get the chance again. Hermione's magic is unstable at the moment."

"Why?" Edward frowned in concern.

"She's been through a war, she's watched the people she loved and cared for die; family, friends, allies, professors, students she went to school with and she emotionally struggled after the war. But also, her transformation affects her magic; it's difficult to become an Animagus and a great amount of magical energy is required for the process. The magic is taken from our magical core, which is what sustains us, keeps us alive, allows us to function. Now that she's completed her transformation, her body's working hard to right itself and the magical balance within her and that will take a few months, so until then, you'll have to be cautious around her. As long as she continues to practice magic to prevent a build-up and she's able to get her magic to continue flowing around her body, she'll be fine, just don't piss her off. The House of Black has always been known for our madness and insanity due to the inbreeding. Hermione Black's temper is a scary thing, I think people even refer to it now as 'Seeing Black'," he chuckled and they stared disbelievingly.

Hearing footsteps, they all turned their eyes to the corridor, silently watching as Hermione and Remus entered the room, Remus with his arm around her shoulders and she was tucked against his side. Hermione had changed into a black t-shirt, a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and black trainers, whilst Remus wore a grey jumper, a grey pair of tracksuit bottoms and white trainers. And as Sirius refused to wear anything else, he always did training in his regular clothing.

"What's a Mudblood?" Collin asked innocently, spying the scar on her arm. The room was deadly quiet as Hermione flinched black violently and a furious look crossed Remus' face.

"I assume the boys have told you everything about me," she started and they nodded slowly, having witnessed the reaction in the room. "It's a very bad name for someone with my blood," she said quietly.

A guilty look crossed his face and he looked down at the ground, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay, you didn't know," she said softly and she walked over to both him and Brady, hooking her arms through theirs as they were too tall to sling her arms over their shoulders. "Come on, it's time for training," she said, guiding them out of the tent with everyone following behind them.

She walked not too far from the tent but had put enough space between them that it wouldn't get damaged in the crossfire and she came to a stop, pulling her arms from the two young wolves and turning to face the rest of the group. Sirius and Remus stood on either side of her and she gestured for the boys to stand with the pack whilst the Cullens stood away from them, a gap separating them. For good measure and extra security, Hermione raised a simple ward between them to keep them separated. With a flick of her wand, balls of bright lights flew into the air, floating around and lighting the area up as if it was a sunny day and not going into late evening and they looked impressed.

"Before we start I'll make something clear," Remus spoke, looking very much like an Alpha, standing tall and straight, his eyes narrowed and his voice deeper than usual. "You offered to help us protect our daughter, I know that you don't like each other but I don't care. Hermione's safety is top priority and if she is injured because you can't work together, I will not be responsible for my actions." His eyes flashed a terrifying amber glow. "You _must_ tolerate each other and learn to work together. Do I make myself clear?" He asked and they all nodded without hesitation. The wolf was happy and retreated to the background, Remus' eyes returning to normal.

"Now that my father has scared the crap out of you all," Hermione started and Sirius chuckled, glancing at Remus proudly. "He's right; things will run more smoothly if we don't have to waste time breaking up fights. We've a lot to cover and a lot to teach you. Soon enough you'll be able to recognise spells and their intentions from wand movements, spoken words or the colour of the spells. You'll need to know the difference between a simple Knockback Jinx and the Killing Curse." Hermione glanced to each of them, seeing they were listening attentively which made Hermione happy, knowing they were taking it seriously.

"But first we thought we'd have a little fun. You all know why you're here; you know that witches and wizards that practice dark and unforgiving magic are running around murdering and harming innocent people, trying to take over the world, and I am their number one target. You've seen through my memories the dark side of magic, now we want to show you _why_ we're fighting, _why_ so many wonderful people died for what they believed in, _why_ they died for good magic."

Hermione lifted her wand arm, her wolf tattoo being illuminated by the bright lights above them.

"Nice tattoo," Jared smirked.

"Thanks," she grinned. "It moves when you touch it." He scoffed at her. "Don't believe me?"

"No,"

She shrugged her shoulders before approaching him, holding out her wrist in invitation. "Touch it then," she offered. He raised an eyebrow but did reach out with his index finger, the pack gathering closer to see the results. Jared's eyes widened when beneath his touch, the wolf paced in circles before sitting down and throwing its head back in a silent howl. "Told you so," she said smugly before crossing back over to her fathers, standing in-between them.

"Something simple?" Remus suggested and she nodded in agreement. She turned her eyes to Sirius and he cocked a questioning eyebrow.

"What I'm about to do is human transfiguration. It isn't taught until our final year of education as it requires skilful and precise movements," she explained. " _Avifors_ ," she whispered, her wand aimed at Sirius and before their eyes, Sirius transformed into a large eagle and he took flight and flew over their heads before landing on Remus' shoulder.

"That was _simple_?" Jasper asked amused.

"For Hermione? Yes, it was. She isn't referred to as 'the Brightest Witch of her Age' for nothing," Remus smiled down at Hermione proudly before muttering the counter curse and Sirius returned to his full height.

"My turn," he grinned.

"What is it you're to do Lord Black?" Carlisle asked respectively.

"Mate, you don't have to call me that. Sirius or Padfoot will do," he grinned.

"I suggest vain," Hermione offered. "Or arrogant?"

"Prat?" Remus spoke.

"Idiotic?"

"Pain in the arse?"

"Moronic?"

"Egotistical?"

"Grumpy?" Hermione suggested.

"Nosy?"

"Man-child?"

"Oh, that's a good one."

"Thanks, Alpha," she grinned. The pack and Cullens' eyes darted between them as they spoke to each other in their own little bubble, Sirius scowled and they were completely amused.

"Give credit where credit's due. How 'bout sarcastic?" Remus asked.

"Sneaky?" Hermione offered.

"Stubborn?"

"Scheming?"

"Tactless?" Remus suggested.

"Nice," Hermione commented.

"Thanks," Remus grinned.

"Grumpy?"

"You've said that one," Remus pointed out.

"I meant it," she nodded seriously.

"Oi, I am here, ya know?" Sirius pouted and they couldn't stop it, everyone burst out laughing.

"Come on, Papa, we're only messing with you, we love you," she kissed his cheek and he seemed placated.

"Fine, now let me show off my amazing skills."

"Arrogant," Hermione and Remus chorused together without hesitation, the laughter from their observers growing louder.

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled, before pointing his wand at himself, muttering two separate incantations beneath his breath, and before their eyes he slowly disappeared, sobering their laughter as they stared.

"Where'd he go?" Jasper asked, his eyes darting about his surroundings.

"Nowhere," Hermione and Remus chorused, just before Emmett startled when something hit him on the back of the head and he kept turning his head from left to right and spun in circles in search for the culprit.

"Papa, leave him alone," Hermione rolled her eyes.

Sirius suddenly reappeared beside Emmet and he startled, taking a step back and releasing a noise that he would most certainly be teased for.

"You know, for someone of your stature, you sure are jumpy," Sirius smirked.

"What was that? Invisibility Spell?" Carlisle guessed.

"No, but close enough as an Invisibility Spell doesn't exist, it was a Disillusionment Charm. It allows for the blending into your surroundings, basically magical camouflage; if you look closely enough you can see the shimmer and human outline, unless it was cast perfectly, which it usually isn't," Hermione answered.

"I guess it's my turn," Remus spoke, turning to look at Sirius.

"Don't you da..."

" _Tarantallegra_ ,"

Sirius sighed as his feet we no longer under his control and he started doing the Irish Jig on the spot, and when he could no longer stay in one place, his feet directed him around the woods with everyone laughing at him.

" _Finite Incantatem_ ," Hermione chuckled, putting him out of his misery and he sulked as he walked back over to them. Hermione shared a look with her fathers and then she looked to Paul, he nodded with a soft smile knowingly.

" _Expecto Patronum_ ," they all chorused.

Their Patronus' burst from the tips of their wands in a silver-blue misty-smoke, taking on the forms of a large wolf, a large dog and werewolf. The animal forms pounced and darted above their heads, their observers casting their eyes upwards, staring in amazement and awe before lowering their eyes when the animals lowered to the ground, darting and pouncing on one another playfully, as if they weren't there and they were animals in the wild.

"They're beautiful," the girls present whispered in chorused and unplanned awe.

"These are our spirit animals," Hermione explained. "We will likely use them to contact you in emergencies."

Hermione crouched down and her wolf, noting her, stopped playing with the others and approached her, sitting down in front of her obediently before she leaned forward and whispered in its ear. The large disappeared with a mist of smoke before reappearing in front of Sam, sitting down on the ground and it opened its mouth.

"Sam," Hermione's voice spoke and they gaped in shock. "The wards have been activated, there's a vampire on your land."

"That's amazing," he muttered, everyone nodding agreement.

Brady reached his hand out and the wolf turned and sniffed it, before nuzzling at it affectionately. "Her fur feels real," he said quietly.

"She trusts you," Hermione said. "She recognises you. You're pack."

"What?" Jared questioned confused.

"You're pack," she repeated. "You're a part of my pack," she shrugged her shoulders, watching her wolf lick at Brady's hand before Collin reached his hand out and received the same treatment.

"No, we're not," Sam said, slightly harsher than intended.

"Yes, you are," she frowned.

"No, we have our own pack."

"No, you don't understand. My father is the Alpha and a werewolf, that technically makes us a werewolf pack, whereas you are shape-shifting wolves, that makes you a wolf pack. Yes, technically we are two _separate_ packs, but we are also one combined pack. Do you understand?"

"No," he admitted, scratching the side of his head.

"Just say we're pack," she sighed.

"Why?"

"Just say it," she growled, her wolf coming to the surface.

"Fine, we're pack."

"There, was that so hard? Since the day I met you all, I've practically adopted you. I consider you family, which means that we are pack. We will be stronger together than we are apart. Think of the things we can do together; you're helping to protect me and in return, we're using our magic to help with your patrolling, and we're erecting wards around Swan's house to keep Victoria out. The wolves are helping to kill Victoria, as are the Cullens and so will we."

"And how will you kill a vampire?" Emmet asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I killed two in the Final Battle, my fathers have both killed one each." She then turned and shouted, " _Incendio Tria_!"

As a result, three large fireballs left her wand and slammed against a tree, immediately setting it ablaze. She turned to face them, seeing them staring with wide eyes and parted mouths.

"I assure you, I can handle a vampire," she said amused, before looking over her shoulder and muttering, " _Aquamenti_ ," a jet of water flowing from the tip of her wand and she directed it to the flaming tree, extinguishing the fire and leaving behind smoke.

She looked to her wolf, seeing that she was approaching Paul without having been called over and she laid on the ground, rolling onto her back and presenting her stomach, wanting a belly rub. Her mouth tugged into a smile and her gaze connected with Paul's, it seeming to be only them as the rest of the world fell away.

~000~000~000~

Edward had listened to and watched everything in awe and surprise, his mind struggling to comprehend what they were capable of and his attention being solely on Hermione, his eyes barely leaving her. For that reason, he hadn't picked up on the thoughts of those around him, being too focused on her that he hadn't even had to attempt to ignore them. That was, until, he saw Hermione locking gazes with another and memories and thoughts of her flashed through his head, originating from another wolf's mind.

Crying, screaming, begging, laughing, kissing, sleeping, kissing, holding her close, kissing, kissing, kissing! He'd originally assumed they'd belonged to Jacob until he saw _who_ she was kissing. Lahote.

His eyes darted from Hermione, searching for the one her gaze held and it was to his fury, that she was locked in a _heated_ gaze with the flea-bag with soft looks held on their faces, unnoticed by everyone except for him. The thought of them kissing continuously swirled through his thoughts and he focused, breaking into Lahote's thoughts where he saw everything he had with Jacob. _Everything_.

The fucking mutt had imprinted on his mate!

He saw red, he lost his temper.

"YOU IMPRINTED ON HER!" Edward snarled viciously.

Before anyone had the thought to stop him, he leapt forward with bared fangs, aiming directly for Paul.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Wednesday 8th October 2006**

"Edward!" The Cullens chorused in surprised horror.

Emmet and Jasper, being the closest to him, prepared to move after him but before they could, Edward slammed against an invisible barrier, ricocheted off it and slammed into a tree, taking the whole thing down with a deafening bang.

Edward barely batted an eyelash as she sprang to his feet and charged at the pack, only to slam into the barrier and ricochet off it again, this time missing the trees but skidding to a stop when he hit the ground. He climbed to his feet and approached, standing before the barrier in a low crouch.

At his sudden attack, each member of the pack had been at the very edge of phasing only for them to realise what Hermione had done having come across her barriers before, and the majority of them smirked smugly whilst a few of them looked confused, surprised. Though they secretly agreed it had been too bad the defences were in place as they would've loved to kill one or two of them.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Hermione demanded angrily, a fierce glare gracing her face, one that was so frightening, everyone took a subtle step backwards.

"Why can't I get through?" Edward demanded, standing to his full height and his death glare darting between Paul and Jacob respectively.

"I'm not stupid enough to have you in the same vicinity as the pack without a contingency plan; I've erected a shield preventing you from getting through to each other, it's been there since you arrived. And you didn't answer my question, I suggest you do so now before I lose my temper," she growled.

Edward's head snapped to her at the feral growl that ripped from the back of her throat, her wolf coming through to the surface. They all glanced about their surroundings to see leaves, broken twigs and logs slowly rising from the ground.

"I'd answer her if I were you, she'd have no reservations about setting you on fire, she has me," Sirius shrugged, slipping his hands casually into his pockets.

"She set you on fire?" Collin blinked.

"I was fourteen," she growled. The young wolf gulped before stepping partially behind Quil. "Now, what the hell was that? Don't make me ask you again," she spoke, her tone dark and cold and dangerous.

"Nothing," he gritted his teeth.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," she sang before flicking her wand, " _Confringo_ ,"

The tail of Edward's long winter coat caught on fire and upon the realisation, he ripped it off to prevent himself from being devoured by the flames, them seeming just as angry as Hermione, in fact, it was as if her anger was fuelling them and not the open supply of oxygen.

"Shit! She _actually_ set him on fire," Jared whispered in awe, and Paul and Jacob beamed proudly.

"You set me on fire," Edward spoke, his tone one of disbelief.

"No, I set your _coat_ on fire, next time it will be your hair."

"She'll do it," Sirius nodded from his position of casually leaning back against a tree. "I'd answer her... Whoa! Bloody hell witch!" Sirius said as he ducked, a Stinging Hex slamming into the tree where his head had once been.

"Stay out of this, Sirius, we don't need your commentary," she scowled at him.

"Just trying to lighten the mood," he grumbled, stuffing his hands into pockets in a huff.

"She scares me," Emmet admitted, leaning over to whisper in Jasper's ear. "Screw that...She _terrifies_ me."

"I think I've just found my new best friend," Rosalie smirked.

"Of course, setting your brother-in-law on _fire_ would make you love her," Alice sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What the hell is imprinting? I assume it has something to do with you," she questioned, looking to the wolf pack, who as one, looked to Paul and Jacob expectantly.

"Maybe we should do this somewhere more private," Jacob suggested, shifting his weight under the stare she pinned him with.

"You're not going anywhere with her," Edward snarled.

"She has nothing to do with you," Jacob growled back.

"She's my mate!" Edward snapped.

"She's mine," Paul and Jacob chorused unintentionally.

As soon as those words left their mouths, silence rained upon them, not even the sound of the wildlife and rustling leaves in the wind could be heard as both sides took in the other's words.

"What?" Hermione whispered with wide eyes, looking to be on the verge of fainting.

The three teens looked to her, their mouths open but no sound leaving.

"Mates? As in _soul bonds_?"

"They're the same thing, Snowflake," Sirius said, just as surprised as everyone else.

Hermione struggled to breathe, her chest tightening, her complexion paling, her body swaying and her eyes rolling into the back of her head before she fainted. Fortunately, before she hit the ground, Paul had been the closest and he darted forward, catching her and he lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest, looking down at her in concern as he turned to leave.

"You're not taking her..."

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Remus' voice boomed louder than even Emmet was capable of and every pair of eyes stared at him in surprise and fright; his eyes shone a terrifying bright amber, he stood taller, his hair seemed to have darkened, his face was set hard and furious, the scars he'd gained over the years more pronounced than usual. "Paul?" Remus questioned, gesturing towards the tent with a tip of his head.

The younger wolf silently nodded and he walked the distance to the tent, the rest of the group following behind them but the wolves and Cullens giving the other a wide berth. Paul was the first to enter the tent and without instruction or waiting for anyone else, he crossed through the living room, down the corridor and to Hermione's room. If anyone was surprised that he knew exactly where it was located, they didn't comment.

He toed the door open wider and entered, gently setting Hermione down in the centre of the mattress before moving to the bathroom, reappearing moments later with a damp cloth which he set on her forehead as he took a seat beside her, waiting for her to wake.

"How'd you know where her room was?" Edward spat.

"He slept here last night," Sirius shrugged. "Well, this morning technically."

They weren't blind to Edward lunging forward and Emmet and Jasper holding Edward back. Remus muttered a Silencing Charm and flicked his wand in Edward's direction, silencing his snarls, insults and threats.

"You _have_ got to teach me that," Emmet said gleefully as he wrestled to keep a tight hold on Edward.

"You're not a wizard," Remus replied. Emmet pouted.

Sirius folded his arms across his chest before turning his eyes to the pissed vampire, that despite his less muscled frame, appeared to be giving the _two_ stronger vampires a little trouble. "He slept here last night, Hermione's able to make her own decisions and we won't stop her from doing anything she wishes to. However, _nothing_ happened, we would've smelt it when we found them asleep this morning and that particular scent tends to linger so you would've smelt it too when you walked in," he said calmly. He then turned to Paul, seeing the wolf twirling one of Hermione's curls around his finger. "Did she have nightmares?"

"No," he replied.

"I thought not," he said, his mouth tugging at the corners.

"You know something?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"You're her soul bond, all three of you, for some reason," Sirius gestured to Paul, Jacob _and_ Edward with a wave of his hand. "What'd you call it?"

"Imprinting," Sam injected, his eyes darting between the three teens in discomfort, disbelief, confusion. "It's rare for it to happen in a pack and not only have I imprinted but so has Jared, Quil and both Jacob and Paul have imprinted on Hermione, we didn't even think that was possible."

"For you, it might not be, but for her, it is," Remus said, nodding to Hermione and barely keeping Moony contained at seeing his cub so distressed that she'd collapsed.

"I'm confused," Embry frowned, scratching at his head.

"Imprinting is essentially finding your perfect match, correct?"

"Yes," the pack chorused, wondering how he'd hit the nail ob the head without them giving him any information other than who'd imprinted.

"All magical creatures and beings do it, too; werewolves, vampires, mermaids, giants, we all have a perfect match, but as it is for you, it's the same for us, we rarely find our mate. At least in life, most of us find them in the afterlife. Witches and wizards are no different; they each have a perfect match. This person completes them, they're essentially the other half of their soul. Hence the term soul bond," he explained and they nodded slowly, allowing the information to sink in.

"In our world, triadic relationships are _not_ frowned upon, they're rare but there's nothing wrong with being seen or known as belonging to one," Remus explained, and they looked surprised at the news given how taboo it was in their world. "Most triadic relationships that last have powerful and strong offspring, magic is involved in the bonds between the three. You have to be compatible. It's not as rare as a magical creature finding their mate, but it's still rare for a witch or wizard to find their soul bond, it's why everyone in our world tends to marry young."

"Well, that and arranged marriages," Sirius injected.

Remus tipped his head in acknowledgement before continuing. "But it's very rare for a witch or wizard to have _two_ soul bonds, hence triads. It's even rarer for them to have _three_. If I'm remembering correctly, there's only been eight recorded quadratic relationships since the beginning of magic, compared to the eighty-three triadic relationships. It might be taboo here, but in our world, it's not. No one would treat you differently."

"I told you it was 'cause she was a witch," Collin muttered.

Sirius looked to him with a curiously raised eyebrow before his mouth tugged into a smile when the pack nodded in confirmation to his words.

"And you were right, Pup. For reasons that we can't explain, that _anyone_ can explain, you three are _perfect_ for her and her for you. She hasn't had a full night's rest in years, she's lucky if she gets more than three hours sleep, her nightmares tormenting her," Sirius said, his eyes moving to Paul. "When we saw you this morning, she looked peaceful, more so than we've ever seen. There's magic binding you, we've noticed it before; I can only describe it as a subtle glow that only seems to appear when you're nearby or in the presence of one another. We were going to do some research into the matter but now we don't have to."

"So, we're _all_ bound to Hermione?" Jacob frowned deeply.

"Yes, it's not illegal. You may have to downplay any relationship between you three in this world, but in the Wizarding World no one will care," Sirius shrugged.

"But still, why is there _three_ of us?" Paul asked. "Jacob imprinted on first sight, which is normal, and I imprinted after kissing her, which is unheard of."

"Edward was drawn to her by her smell," Jasper added for those not in the know.

"Hermione's a powerful witch; you three are her soul bonds or mates because you will balance her. You are her equals."

"She's our everything," Jacob whispered, his eyes lifting from the ground and looking to Remus and Sirius. "When a wolf imprints, they don't and can't choose who it is. Like Paul said, we imprint upon first sight and we have no control over it. When we imprint everything changes for us; she's the only thing that matters. She's the air we breathe, the happiness in our lives. She's the gravity grounding us to earth. We would do anything for her, be anything for her; a friend, a brother, a lover, a protector. Anything that she requires, we will be."

"She _won't_ choose between you, she _can't_ ," Remus informed them. "It'll be impossible for her; it'll be like asking her to decide between three pieces of her heart. She will want you in her life for always, and it won't be as brothers and it definitely won't be as protectors because she'll kill you for playing that role," he said honestly. "I'm to assume you love her?"

"Instantaneously," Paul muttered, looking down at Hermione with the softest expression his packmates had ever seen him use.

"It won't be that way for her, she'll fall in love naturally. I can't say how long that may take, but I can guarantee it'll happen," Sirius assured them.

"You'll all be her love, her happiness, her everything," Remus said, "Just as she is for you."

" _How_ will that work?" Paul asked.

"You'll have to work that out for yourselves, but she will be with all of you. It would hurt her if she wasn't."

"If she's bound to us just as much as we are to her, are we bound to each other?" Jacob asked, gesturing to himself, Paul and a still restrained and silenced Edward with a grimace on his face.

"No, well actually, yes. You are all bound together by your love for her. You could hate each other as much as you wish, but you will be united in your love for her. You will all want to protect her and make her happy, and for that, you will have to work together."

"This is a lot to take in," Jacob muttered, rubbing at his temples with his fingers, feeling a headache forming.

"Well, after that outburst, training's done for the night; you'll have to come back tomorrow. Hermione won't be awake for a while yet and when she does wake, she won't be in the mood to train. She'll need to process all that's happened before she even contemplates speaking with you," Sirius said, looking to the three teens.

"I'm assuming you're staying," Remus said, eyeing Paul carefully and forcing down an unhappy Moony.

"Then you assume correctly."

"She won't have nightmares, Moony," Sirius said. "They're both adults, too, he won't hurt her, you heard what Jacob said about their soul bonds. He _can't_ hurt her."

"She's still my cub," he grumbled unhappily.

"And she always will be; they won't take her away from you, right boys?"

"Right," Paul and Jacob said immediately and without hesitation, being too afraid to reply with anything else, especially as his eyes flashed that terrifying amber colour.

"D'you mind if I stay? I don't feel comfortable leaving her like this," Jacob asked, shifting his weight nervously.

Sirius nodded. "She'll want to talk to you anyway; I'll show you to the spare room."

"Paul's staying in here with her," Jacob frowned.

"Paul slept in here last night and she's comfortable with him. She'll get the fright of her life if she wakes up with you next to her and she'll likely hex you by accident, too. Besides, Paul doesn't treat her the way you treat her. We've seen from her memories the way you act around her, like a lovesick little puppy," Sirius smirked and the pack sniggered with the majority of the Cullens smirking. "We thought it was a little weird but now it makes sense. You'll be in the room opposite hers."

"Fine," he agreed.

"What was that?" Remus said when he noticed that Edward's mouth was moving. His mouth moved again. "Sorry," Remus said sheepishly and he removed the Silencing Charm. "My Alpha side is a little..."

"Terrifying?" Quil supplied. "We thought Sam's was bad, yours, however, takes the biscuit," he said and the pack nodded unanimously.

"Sorry, Moony's protective of his cub."

"Why'd you call yourself that?"

"Moony's my wolf, he's a part of me but also separate, it's hard to explain, but there are differences between us," he frowned slightly.

"I said, I'm staying, too," Edward glared at Jacob and Paul.

"No, you're not," Jacob growled.

"Did you not just listen to a word we said?" Sirius sighed. "When Hermione struck up her friendship with you and your family, she brought you into our world and she's essentially made you _all_ a part of our pack." He turned to Paul. "I already promised her I would tolerate the bloodsuckers; that's why I didn't bother phasing when the parasite over there tried to attack me. I saw how happy it made her when I agreed to her terms. In the meadow, she was glowing, _literally_ glowing."

Sirius gave Paul a rare smile only seen by Hermione and Remus before turning to the pack.

"The same for you, from the day she met you she 'adopted' you and brought you into our pack. Yes, you are your own pack, but you are also a part of ours."

"She's technically the Alpha Female of our pack anyway," Jared shrugged his shoulders as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"What? Why?" Remus frowned, puzzled by the news.

"Aside from Leah, Hermione's the only female wolf and Jacob's the True Alpha. By blood and birth, he is _supposed_ to be the Alpha but refused to take the position from Sam once he phased. Sam's the Alpha of the pack but Jacob is technically, too, and since Hermione is Jacob's imprint _and_ a wolf, she's technically the Alpha Female."

"We can all see it, we're comfortable around her," Quil added.

"And you're not around Emily?" Sam questioned gruffly, anger presenting in his tone.

"Sorry, Sam, we like Emily, we do," Seth started, giving him a small, sheepish smile. "But Hermione's one of us, she's strong and powerful, she's an _Alpha_ , she gives off the feeling of authority, we wouldn't dare do anything to upset her. It would upset us to see her upset. You know all she's done for us; she allowed us to join her pack, she's given us a place to come whenever we want or need to, for sleep, to eat, to just relax and talk. She's made us a part of her world."

"I like her," Collin said quietly.

"Me too," Brady whispered.

"You've only known her a couple of weeks," Sam argued angrily.

"But she's nice to us, she makes us feel safe and protected, like a mom," Collin said, a frightened, worried expression on his face and his eyes fell downcast.

"Like an Alpha," Embry nodded.

"You _have_ to admit it, Sam," Jared shrugged his shoulders. "She mothers us, more so than Emily and she isn't scared of us, she doesn't treat us any differently. Emily's wary of us, _scared_ even; we've all seen her flinch or leave the room when someone shows anger or annoyance. Hermione doesn't care, she'll walk up to you and punch you or she'll run and jump on your back out of nowhere and for no reason," he said, seeing the members of the pack smiling.

Hermione had done those things many times since meeting them. Quil had been the last to be hit as he'd made fun of her hair, which she hadn't appreciated, and Seth had been the last to find himself getting tackled to the ground, Hermione having run and jumped on his back, _desperately_ wanting a piggyback ride.

"You can feel her authority; her wolf's only slightly smaller than ours, the sign of an Alpha Female. You're telling me that you don't feel safe around her, protected, free?" He raised an eyebrow knowingly.

Sam's eyes darted to each member of the pack before he scowled darkly and then stormed out of the room.

"That's what I thought," Jared said. He then turned to the Cullens, specifically Edward, who looked surprised by the information that had just been divulged. "As Beta, I have the authority to issue a warning; if you hurt _any_ member of the pack the treaty _will_ be dissolved."

"I suggest you all come here early tomorrow morning," Sirius interrupted their glaring match. "We train twice a day, morning and evening. There's no point in eating breakfast, Hermione always makes too much food and there'll be plenty enough for you all. You can just walk in," he said before he turned to the Cullens. "I'm afraid, you'll have to wait until one of us lets you in. Hermione'll be awake before us and it will likely be her that collects you. You should come for about six-thirty."

They agreed to the time before they all looked to Hermione in concern and they left the room.

"We better go as well, we should go hunting to relieve some of the tension," Carlisle spoke, the Cullens saying their goodbyes before leaving the room, leaving behind Edward, Jacob, Paul, Sirius and Remus.

"As you don't sleep, you can stay in the living room away from the wolves, Hermione would be pissed if any of you got into a fight. You can read anything that Hermione has un-warded from the bookcases. Jacob, follow me, I'll show you to your room, we're heading to bed, Hermione'll likely be up before us and have breakfast made before you even wake," Sirius said with a chuckle. "Come on."

With a longing look to Hermione from Jacob, and a glare to Paul from Edward, the wolf and vampire stepped out of the room, Jacob following the two wizards to the room opposite Hermione's and stepping inside after they'd opened the door for him.

His eyes searched his surroundings, seeing the room was slightly smaller than Hermione's and bare compared to hers, too. There was no decoration or colour, the colour scheme being a simple cream with dark wooden flooring. The walls were cream along with the queen-sized bed and its sheets, which was pressed against the back wall, facing the door, and there was a second door on the right wall which led to the bathroom.

"It's not much, Hermione hasn't finished it yet, she wants you to decorate it yourselves, pick the colours and all that, she'll use magic since it's quicker," Sirius shrugged.

"It's bigger than my bedroom _and_ bathroom combined," Jacob commented. They chuckled at him.

"The tent's originally this size, we haven't altered it in any way, the furnishings Hermione picked out and we decided on the colour schemes together," Remus explained. "Right then, we'll leave you alone, Edward, come with us, we'll take you to the living room."

Sirius, Remus and Edward left him alone to his thoughts.

"This is where we leave you, Hermione will come to you, just give her some time," Remus said before he turned and left down the corridor, heading to his own bedroom.

"Be careful, some of the books bite," Sirius warned, laughing when he saw the look on Edward's face.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 12

**Wednesday 8th November 2006**

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and the first thought that entered her mind? She was warm, _really_ warm. She blinked until her vision cleared and her eyes darted about her surroundings, seeing that she was in her room. Everything appeared normal, nothing was out of place, she was comfortable in her bed but she felt the weight of something heavy thrown over her waist and the heat that radiated from behind her. Her eyes flittered down to see an arm hooked over her waist and she lifted her head from the pillow, looking over her shoulder to see it was Paul. He was asleep, his breathing even and deep, his face relaxed and head tilted down a little.

Not wishing to wake him, she carefully rolled onto her back, his arm shifting to rest against her stomach. She turned her head to the side, her eyes carefully tracing his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and calm, happy even; he had a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth making her wonder what he was dreaming of. She stilled when his arm pulled her a little closer to him until her shoulder pressed against his chest, but he didn't wake and she released a silent sigh until the events of the evening suddenly smacked her in the face.

Mates, she had mates! And not just one but _three_ ; Paul, Jacob _and_ Edward! Their behaviour suddenly made sense to her. Why they were so protective of her. Why they agreed without thought to protect her. Why they had accepted her and her fathers' secrets and past so willingly and without incidence, even seeming happy, that she, too, was different.

She had three mates, two shape-shifting wolves _and_ a vampire. _Merlin! That was going to be fun._ She knew what it meant to have a soul bond; she knew how important it was to the witch or wizard and she knew how rare an occasion it was. She knew she couldn't reject them; it would hurt not only them, but her, too, and that was something she wanted to avoid. Without them, she would never truly be happy. Now they'd been identified and it'd been verified out loud, she would crave the need to be in their presence, she would long to hear their voices or smell their familiar scents, more so now that she was a wolf, an animal that mated for life.

There was nothing she could do about it, they were her future. She'd accepted the circumstances but she was well aware that it didn't mean she would find things easy, that things wouldn't be strange or hard to navigate, especially for the first few years and with her soul bonds being shape-shifters and vampires, natural enemies.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the mattress shift and Paul moved beside her. Her eyes darted to his, seeing that he'd woken at some point and was observing her carefully, his expression guarded, his eyes wary. She recognised the signs, amusedly releasing that her fathers must've warmed him of her temper, and given the previous happens, she had every right to be angry.

Her lips parted, her mind filled with questions but the one she settled with was, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only imprinted during our first kiss," he replied, his voice quiet.

"What's imprinting?" She asked puzzled, wondering if it was similar to her own situation or if it was something entirely different. She wracked her mind but she couldn't remember hearing or coming across the term before she'd heard it that evening.

"Your fathers said that your people have soul bonds, mates, that they're rarely found..."

"That's true, we tend to marry young as the chances of finding our soul mate are low, most aren't found until after death. We can be with others, we can marry and have children but we'll never truly find happiness with anyone that isn't our soul bond. That's why we marry young, so we can learn to appreciate what we have, so we have time to learn to be as happy as we possibly can with our chosen partner."

"Imprinting is the same, it's rare and it's only happened once or twice since the legends of the Tribe began. The person we imprint on is our mate, our perfect match and our everything; she's said to make us stronger somehow, to better us. Gravity no longer is the thing grounding you to the earth, it's her, she's the reason we exist and nothing else matters but her. We would be anything to make her happy, a friend, a lover, a brother, a protector, anything she needs and we'd be that for her. She comes before the pack, before anything."

"That's kind of sweet," she mused and he chuckled at her. "I'm _your_ imprint?" She questioned and he nodded, his mouth tugging into a smile. "But I'm _also_ Jacob's?"

He released a grumbled sigh. "Yes, this is where it gets complicated. We can't and don't choose who our imprint is, it's not a choice, it just happens and we can't do anything to stop it or force it. When Jacob first laid eyes on you he imprinted on you, you're his everything, just as you are mine."

"I suppose that's why his behaviour changed when around me. I'm not going to lie, it freaked me out a little with the way he always seemed to be nearby or following me around."

Paul snorted, "Yeah, it was,"

"So this is what caused the tension between you?" She guessed.

"Yeah," he sighed. "The day we met I knew you were different, I knew you were going to be in my life I just didn't know how and I didn't expect it to be 'cause you were Jacob's imprint. I always felt better around you; you calmed me, you didn't treat me like an idiot or a volatile brute. You make me feel relaxed, like I'm in control. Even with Jacob claiming you, I _had_ to be around you, something was drawing me to you and I couldn't stay away, it didn't matter that you were Jacob's imprint. But when we kissed, I imprinted and the fact I did is strange; we imprint on first sight, not the first kiss and definitely not on another's imprint. Why did it take so long? Why did he imprint before I did? Why did we both imprint on you?"

"It might have something to do with the senses, sight and touch," she frowned thoughtfully. "I'm a witch; I have magic in me that needs to remain balanced, Fate obviously doesn't think one soul bond would regulate it, so they gave me two."

" _Three_ , you're forgetting the parasite."

"Forgot about that," she muttered. " _Two_ wolves _and_ a vampire, glad to see my dangerous childhood is following me into adulthood."

Despite himself, he couldn't help but laugh at her dry response. "You can handle the bloodsucker."

"I can handle the wolves, too, thank you very much," she huffed, her eyes narrowing on him.

"I don't doubt that, your father warned us all of your temper, apparently it's referred to as 'Seeing Black'," he spoke amused. "I felt it, your magic, it was like it was swirling in the room, surrounding us, it was both impressive and scary as hell when things started floating."

"Sorry," she looked sheepish. "When I saw how frightened Collin and Brady were, it took me a few moments to force myself to calm down. I don't like seeing them so frightened, they're too young to be in this and I'm only letting them attend our training sessions so they're prepared for what may be out there, but I'm not allowing them to participate in the fight."

"You feel protective of them," he stated knowingly. "It's not just their young age, it's your place in the pack."

"What d'you mean?" She questioned, looking puzzled by his words.

He shrugged his shoulders. "You're an Alpha, the Alpha Female of the pack. Jacob's the _true_ Alpha of the pack."

"I know that from the legends," she nodded.

"Even if he didn't take over when he should've, he's still the Alpha and it wouldn't take much for him to take his rightful place as Alpha should he wish to. You're his imprint, and a bonus for us, a wolf, too. That would've made you a den mother of sorts but 'cause you're a wolf, you're the Alpha Female. It's your job to protect the pack and look after us, which you've pretty much been doing since you met us, even before your transformation and we learned your secret. We feel comfortable around you; we trust you and have since we met you at the diner. We feel more comfortable around you than we do Emily."

"That's Sam's girlfriend, right? Is she his imprint?"

"Yep and Sam's pissed. After you passed out, I brought you here and your fathers explained everything to us regarding the soul bond imprint thing. Every member of the pack agreed they prefer you to Emily, who's an imprint like you but you're different. You're a wolf, an actual member of the pack, the _true_ Alpha Female. Sam wasn't happy with the news but even he didn't deny that he felt the same as the others. Your presence as the Alpha Female is calming, relaxing. We trust you, we _like_ being around you, you take care of us without you even realising you're doing it. We truly are one whole pack instead of two separate packs and that's because of you."

Her mouth tugged into a smile at his words. "What happens now?"

"That's up to you, everything is your choice. If I'm honest, I'm just glad you're taking this well, the others freaked out."

"Others?"

"Sam, Jared and Quil have imprinted. Emily freaked out, as did Kim, Quil was spared the whole crying-fainting-explanation thing, his imprint's Claire, she's two." He waited for an outburst at the child being such a young age but it never came, in fact, she didn't even look phased by it. "Imprinting's rare but there's already been three wolves to have done it, five including myself and Jacob, you _must_ be important."

"You said imprints strengthen their partners, right?" She questioned thoughtfully and he nodded. "Well, if I'm the imprint of you _and_ the rightful Alpha, what if I don't just strengthen you but the _pack_ as well."

He looked thoughtful. "How so?"

She shifted to get more comfortable, turning on her side to face him, her hand slipping beneath her head to cushion her cheek. "Neither of us are fully human in the sense that our DNA is altered, yours as you're a wolf, mine as I'm magical. I'm a wolf, an Animagus, that's a difficult form of magic and I can perform it. In the Wizarding World, I'm known for having bursts of accidental magic when I'm angry or upset, and that makes me not your average witch. I'm the heir to the House or Black and I have the Potter's wealth, I bring prosperity and power to the pack, no one would ever have to work. No one would want for anything, you would have everything you could ever need or want. The Tribe would never need a leaky roof fixing again or have to live in such confined spaces. I'm a wolf, which will help in protecting the Tribe as you do. But most importantly, I'm a magical witch. The gene for magic will be in my bloodline for as long as children are born to my line, just as the gene for being a wolf will be for you."

"And that means?"

"Any children that are born from me are most likely to be magical, and any children that are born from you or Jacob, are most likely to carry the shifting gene and will be wolves if that gene is triggered."

"So our children will be both magical and wolves?"

" _Our_ children?" She raised an eyebrow.

" _Our_ children," he shrugged his shoulders, "You're my future."

"I've accepted that," she confessed.

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would, so did your fathers for that matter."

"Don't be fooled; my fathers may have appeared to be calm and collected but I guarantee that if I were to remove the Silencing Charm on their bedroom, you'd hear every piece of furniture being broken and repaired, so it can be broken again. Sirius is going to be in for a long night in trying to contain Remus' werewolf side. I'm his only cub, he's known me since I was thirteen-years-old and he's _very_ protective of me. As for how I'm taking this, it's going to be difficult adjusting to having _three_ soul bonds. They're incredibly rare; it's rare to find one match, never mind having three. It's acceptable in my world, no one will judge us; in fact, I'd imagine they'd _want_ something from us. They'll want to be our friends so they can say they are, it'll increase their status and popularity, especially since I'm _Lady Black_. Here, we won't be accepted, we'll have to hide what we are. We'll have to figure out a way for us to be together without it being suspicious, at least for now."

"We will," he assured her.

"But we have other priorities,"

"We'll keep you safe, as much as I hate to admit, you're the Leech's mate, too, and that means the Cullens have accepted you as family, they'll help to protect you."

"And my fathers and I will train you well and we'll protect you."

"I don't need protecting," he denied.

"You do," she deadpanned. "You need protecting from _yourself_. I know you better than you realise, better than most. You act confident and cocky but you're not, that's not who you are. You're too harsh on yourself and I don't like it. I don't care what anyone says about you, you're a good person, I can see it; you just need to believe in yourself as much as I do," she said, seeing his mouth tugging at the corners and his dark eyes softening slightly. "You say that it's my job to make you better, to make you stronger, but you don't need me for that, only you can make yourself better."

He held her gaze, seeing the soft, kind features of her face and he closed the short distance between them, pressing his mouth against hers in a soft, chaste but meaningful kiss. When he pulled back, her eyes slowly fluttered open, sparkling a little more than they had before and she smiled at him.

"Now that we've gotten this out of the way, I suppose I better talk to Jacob," she said quietly.

"He's waiting for you in the spare bedroom, he's staying the night," he informed her.

"He listened in to our conversation, didn't he?" She muttered.

"Yep, so did the parasite."

"You really must stop calling him that," she scolded. "You're staying?" She questioned and he nodded without hesitation. "I'll grab some clothes from my wardrobe for you and you already know where the bathroom is."

She gave him another quick kiss before climbing from the bed and retrieving some clothing for both Paul and Jacob, quickly altering them so they'd better fit their larger frames. After setting down the clothing on the bed for Paul, she exited her bedroom and crossed the hall to the bedroom opposite, seeing the door being ajar. Taking a breath, she knocked on the door out of habit –knowing Jacob would've already heard her approaching- and then she pushed open the door further to see Jacob lounging on the bed, his arms folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling but upon her entrance, his eyes darted to her and he sat up, planting his feet on the ground.

"Hey, I thought we should talk, I brought you some pyjamas," she said, suddenly feeling nervous.

Why the hell did she feel nervous? It was only Jacob for Merlin's Sake! But she had to remind herself that Jacob wasn't Paul. She was more comfortable around one than she was the other, she'd spent more time with one than she had the other.

"Thanks," he replied, his eyes following her movements of crossing the room, setting the clothing down on the bed before she perched on the edge of the mattress, folding her hands in her lap.

"Ask me," he said after a few moments of silence had passed.

Hermione took a breath and gave her head a shake. "Why didn't you tell me that I was your imprint?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess I just wanted you to like me for me and not 'cause you felt obligated to. I didn't want to scare you or frighten you off."

"That wouldn't have happened, I would've understood. You now know we have soul bonds in my world and they're just as rare as yours. You telling me that I was your mate wouldn't have frightened me. I'll admit, I likely would've fainted, like I just did, but I would've understood. And I sure as hell wouldn't have treated you any differently."

"I'm a giant wolf, a _freak_ ," he muttered. He certainly hadn't been expecting her reaction to be one of anger.

Her face filled with fury, her eyes darkened and her hair sparked with little golden bolts of magic. She stood to her feet so quickly he felt dizzy and she moved to stand before him, a finger pointed threatening in his face with her hand settled against her hip. Despite his fear of witnessing her temper, especially after what she'd done to Cullen earlier in the evening, he couldn't help think she looked beautiful.

"You are _not_ a freak, you are _not_ a monster, you are _not_ an abomination. What you are is Jacob Black. What you are is special. You have an amazing ability that you were born with, shape-shifters are treated with respect in the Wizarding World given how rare a talent it is. My father's a werewolf and he's ostracised, hated, for being attacked when he was four-years-old, for something he had no control over. He can't find employment, he can't receive medical treatment in a hospital, he can't adopt or buy a house; he can't have a bank account or enter hospitals. Stop with the self-pity, your life is pretty good from where I'm standing. You don't have people writing books about how much of a monster you are and why you don't deserve to live, my father does. There's nothing wrong with you, you've an amazing gift and you should appreciate it. You are faster, stronger, and fitter than most humans. You have advanced senses and accelerated healing. You can't contract common illnesses and you don't feel the cold weather. You've not just one but _two_ packs willing to die for you, to kill for you. From where I'm standing, you have a pretty good life."

He leaned back from her slightly and the fire that blazed within her eyes, quickly feeling guilt well within him. She was right; he _did_ have a good life. He had a loving father, incredible abilities, he had a pack, a brotherhood, he'd been accepted into a world he didn't even know had existed and that was more open minded about certain things, and he had a beautiful imprint that would understand him better than the other imprints could their mates; she was a wolf _and_ a witch.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said honestly. "You're right, I _do_ have a good life. I haven't had to suffer the things that you or your fathers have. I haven't seen the things you have or felt the things you have. I'm sorry."

At his words, her anger seemed to dissipate and she stepped back from him, folding her arms over her chest.

" _Are_ you a freak?" She asked him.

"No, I'm Jacob Black," he answered.

Her eyes scanned his face, deciding whether or not she believed that he meant the words he'd spoken before a smile tugged at her mouth and she nodded once, returning to sit on the edge of the mattress.

"You still should've told me, I found your change in behaviour strange and I would've been more understanding to your dislike of the Cullens had I known. I didn't understand why you were so protective of me, and now I do, I'll try and be careful, but you have to understand that I have a target on my back and the Cullens aren't the problem here."

"I hate them,"

"Why? I get they're vampires, they're in our world and we're wary around them, particularly the human blood drinkers and we're friendlier with the animal diet practitioners. I can kill a vampire with a simple flick of my wand, so I can handle myself. But why do you hate them?"

"It's what I was born for, to protect the Tribe and our land from vampires. You heard the legends, we barely survived; they're killers."

"I know that but some of them are trying to do good and just exist without trouble. They can't help what they are any more than you can help that you're a wolf. They didn't ask for this life, they were bitten and to survive they had to drink blood. They're trying to change Jacob; they're not like other vampires. You and I both know that. Edward's my mate, too, now that I know I've found my soul bonds, I need all of you in my life," she said softly and he seemed to brighten at the news, knowing that meant him, too. "I won't ever be happy, be complete without you, you are a third of my heart and soul. I could be weaker, my magic can suffer, it will be hard for me to function. If I hadn't found you, I would've lived a normal life. I would've married and had children, and although I would love my husband, I would always feel as though something was missing."

"Really?" He frowned thoughtfully.

"Yes, now that I know who you truly are to me, we can start over, as we should've. I'll want to protect you and make sure that you have everything you could possibly need. I'll want you to be happy; it'll hurt me to see you otherwise. I know you overheard my conversation, so you should understand why you've imprinted on me along with Paul, and my being Edward's mate?"

"I wouldn't say that I understood, I'm not a wizard after all, but I understand where you're coming from and I understand my bond with you."

"Well, my bond won't be complete with you until...well..." she cleared her throat, his eyes widening and he shifted slightly, understanding her thought process. "You're bound to me but I'm not yet bound to you, not completely."

"So, this means that..."

"You won't be my brother," she nodded. "I need you all romantically, but you'll also be my best friends and protectors, just as I'll be yours."

"Is what you said to Paul about children true?"

"Yes, it is. The chances of having a magical child will be quite high given my own magical potential, as are the chances of a child possessing the wolf gene as you possess it yourself. Boys will be wizards and shape-shifters, the magic in their DNA might be the trigger for the gene, we won't know for sure unless it happens. Girls are a little trickier to determine; they'll definitely be witches, but from my understanding, female wolves are unheard of, Leah's the anomaly. So they'll have the gene but may never phase, just pass down the gene. Either way, magic will be in my bloodline."

"That's how you make the pack stronger; you're adding magical blood into the pack as well as the Tribe, that's your purpose."

"Says the _true_ Alpha," she snorted and he scowled at her. "I have to talk to Edward, are you definitely staying?" She questioned and he nodded. "The bathroom's through that door and Paul's in my room if you want to talk to him."

"Why're you so comfortable around him?" He questioned, looking a little jealous.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I suppose it's because he doesn't treat me like a fragile china doll, he tells me what he's thinking and he doesn't lie to me. I guess my magic knew long before I did that he was a soul bond."

Before she stood from the bed, she leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek, a surprised but beaming smile pulling at his mouth as she left the room. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she entered the living room to see Edward sitting on the couch with a thick tome held in his hands, one Hermione would recognise anywhere. _Hogwarts, a History_.

"That's my favourite book," she commented, drawing his attention though she knew he'd already heard her approaching. "I've read it close to a hundred times in the last seven years. I carried it with me everywhere, people would just walk around me in the corridors being so used to me reading and not watching where I was going," she said and he chuckled. "How are you finding it?" She asked as she took a seat beside him on the couch.

"Interesting, is everything in here true? The ghosts, moving staircases, hidden passageways and rooms, Founders, headmasters?"

"Yes, everything in there's true, even the part about the Final Battle," she said, her eyes falling downcast for a moment. "This edition was only released when we left England three months ago; I'm mentioned, as are Harry and Ron."

He snapped the book shut and reached out to set it down on the coffee table before turning to look at her.

"You want to know why I didn't tell you," he stated knowingly.

She snorted at him. "Don't have to be a mind reader for that one; you overheard my conversations with both Paul and Jacob."

He chuckled at her bluntness before releasing a sigh. "I'm a _vampire_ , Hermione."

"Really?" She asked sarcastically. "I never noticed."

"I'm still finding it hard to believe that you learned our secret in as little as two days. It took Bella weeks."

"I'm a witch, I've been in the presence of vampires before. We learn to spot them from an early age in defence against the dark arts. And speaking of Bella, if you want me to, I can wipe her memories of you. She'll never remember what you or your family are and they'll be no risk of her telling someone."

He looked surprised but relieved. "I think we should wait on that, with what we're expecting to come, she'll need to know so we don't have to explain everything again," he replied and she nodded in agreement. "Let's get back on topic, I'm a vampire and you are my mate, a _human_. I was worried that you wouldn't take it well, that you'd want me to turn you like Bella did. You're my mate, I wouldn't be able to refuse you anything."

"Have I not told you about our ageing?" She questioned with a slight frown.

"Ageing?"

"There's a reason my fathers look younger than they are, well Sirius at least, Remus looks older due to the stress of his Lycanthropy. Sirius is close to forty in age but he looks to be in his early twenties, that's because magical folk age slower and we live longer."

"What?" He muttered in surprise.

"We live longer, the average human lives to the age of seventy-five," she started and he nodded in agreement. "The average age for magical folk is two hundred." He stared in surprise and her mouth twitched in amusement. "And even then some live longer, I suspect Dumbledore was older than he led people to believe; he never had a birth certificate, I checked. He was supposedly one hundred and fifteen, but I don't believe that, I think he was older, _far_ older. He was just too wise," she shrugged and he silently stared.

"You live longer?" He questioned slowly, finding it difficult to process the news.

"I live longer," she confirmed.

"I won't have to bite you?"

"That depends, can you watch me die?" She asked but she could see his answer written as clear as day in his expression. "Besides, the bite might not work, you heard the statistics I spoke of when speaking to Alice."

"I can't believe you live longer than regular humans."

"Well, I do, if I survive I will at least."

"I won't let anyone hurt you," he promised.

"There's the protective vampire that's a pain in my arse," she teased, he shook his head in amusement. "This is why your family accepted me so easily, isn't it?"

"They accepted you because they _like_ you, they can see everything good about you, even Rosalie likes you and I've _never_ seen that happen before," he replied, his tone not belying his surprise with that development. "It helps that you're a witch, you're not exactly human, but you are. You're different and you only sealed the deal when you set me on fire."

"Sorry about that," she mumbled sheepishly.

"At least it was only my coat, there was no harm done."

"I didn't like that coat anyway, it made you look frumpy," she commented. He raised a questioning eyebrow. "Oh Merlin," she said, a horrified look crossing her face. "I've been spending too much time with Alice," she groaned, falling back against the couch and he snorted at her, silently agreeing with her words. She sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. "You do know how serious this is, right?"

"I overheard you explain everything to the mu..." He paused when she glared at him. "Black and Lahote," he corrected, clearing his throat. "Would it really hurt you if you weren't with all of us?"

"Yes, it _really_ would, especially after the bond is complete."

"That can't happen," he said harshly, more so than he'd intended and his frame stiffened. "I could kill you."

"No, there's potions to protect me, potions to make me stronger, faster, practically invincible. Obviously, it'll wear off but you won't be able to harm me once they're in effect, I promise," she explained. He looked sceptical. "Do you want access to my thoughts so you can see I'm not lying?"

His eyes widened slightly as they locked on her; she'd willingly give him access to something so private?

"No, I believe you," he said softly. "I can't give you what they can, I can't give you children."

"It doesn't matter; Fate has decided that you are to be one of my soul bonds. Besides, if and when the time comes, Jacob and Paul can both give me children and you'll still experience fatherhood," she shrugged. "We're family, a pack. You'll have to learn to tolerate each other; it'll hurt me to see you fighting, and now that I know of you, I'll crave to be around you," she explained, a tired yawn following her words. "Well, you may not need sleep, but I do. I'm guessing you're staying?" She questioned and he nodded without hesitation. "Alright, you may as well sit in my bedroom, I see you're worried about me. Paul's already in my bedroom and Jacob's talking to him, so you all might as well stay with me."

She stood from the couch and crossed to the bookcases, her fingers tracing the spines of the books and following the path of her eyes before she pulled several from the shelves and moved over to Edward who now stood beside the couch, raising an eyebrow when she deposited the small pile in his hands.

"To keep you occupied, I think you'll enjoy these ones, some are about vampires, I thought it'd be nice for you to read about others of your kind but I'd like to be clear there's a lot of prejudice crap mentioned. Others are about the wars and whilst not everything that is written or mentioned may be true, it's best if you know what you're up against."

"They're not going to attack me, are they? As funny as it was to see Emmet getting mauled by a _book_ , I don't fancy experiencing it myself," he said, eyeing the books in hands warily.

She snorted. "No, none of these books are like that, just regular magical books with moving pictures," she promised before she turned on her heel and headed for her bedroom with Edward following behind her.

When she stepped into her bedroom, she walked straight past the conversing wolves and stepped into her bathroom, closing the door behind her, just as Edward walked in and all talking stopped, glares being exchanged between the three teens.

Paul's eyes darted to the closed bathroom door and he was the first to calm himself, letting the glare fall from his face.

"She said you can sit in here," he stated knowingly. "I think you're a creepy fucker for wanting to watch her sleep, I'm not too keen on the idea of sleeping myself with you in here," he answered honestly. Jacob's eyes snapped to him, glancing at him as though he didn't even know who he was anymore. The Paul Lahote he knew was the first to rip a limb from a vampire. "But it's what she wants," he finished, gesturing to the couch in the corner of the room with a tip of his head.

Edward kept his eyes on him as he slowly crossed to the couch, taking a seat and making himself comfortable. Jacob glared at Paul mouthing the words 'traitorous asshole' and Paul simply shrugged in response. If Hermione wanted him in her room, there was nothing he could do about it.

When the bathroom door opened, their eyes turned to it as Hermione stepped through the door, dressed for bed in pink ankle socks, white silk shorts and a pink silk spaghetti strap top with her hair piled on top of her head messily, a few curls already falling loose and framing her face

God, they were lucky!

She smiled at them each in turn before climbing onto the bed, slipping beneath the covers beside Paul, who was quick to settle his arm around her and pull her against him. She went willingly, resting her head against his chest, the rhythmic beating of his heart lulling her to sleep. The mattress shifted behind her and she didn't need to look to know Jacob felt awkward and jealous of seeing her with Paul.

"Just lay down Jacob, I know you don't want to leave me," she muttered.

The mattress shifted beneath his weight as he laid down behind her, the awkward tension in the room being thick and uncomfortable. Sighing, she rose up slightly on her elbow, extinguished the candlelight with a flick of her wand before slipping it beneath her pillow and settling down against Paul once more. After making herself comfortable, she reached behind her, found Jacob's arm and tugged until it settled around her stomach and Jacob was forced to move a little closer. As soon as he did, she heard him release a sigh and it tickled the back of her neck, he held her tighter and she practically felt everything in him relax, a smile tugging at his mouth which she felt against her skin.

"Hopefully, with all of us here, you won't have any nightmares," Paul whispered before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She made a content humming noise in response; she'd never felt so protected or loved. They waited for her breathing to even out before the two wolves followed her into the land of slumber.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 6

**Thursday 9th November 2006**

Edward sat on the comfortable couch in Hermione's bedroom, a book lay open on his lap but his attention wasn't on the book, rather, it was on Hermione.

Hermione, who was currently sleeping soundly between the banes of his existence, the wolves. Why did have to be Black and Lahote? He could've dealt with any of the other wolves, Seth was the nicest of the bunch; he didn't hold hatred for his family like the rest of them, why couldn't it have been him? But no, the world seemed to hate him, but fate did give him the fierce little witch at a mate, even if he did have to share her.

There was something different about her, he'd noticed it; she didn't look as sad as she had when he'd first met her, she didn't appear as broken or fearful, was that because of them? The Wolves? More importantly, Lahote?

He'd noticed that Hermione was more comfortable around Lahote than the others; the way he lounged on her bed as if he'd been doing it all his life and she didn't bat an eyelash, the way he'd pulled her to him the moment she'd climbed into her bed and she didn't even blink, in fact, she cuddled into him further and made herself more comfortable with her head on his chest. The way they both looked at each other with soft looks or secret smiles. He wondered just _how close_ the two of them were but he supposed it didn't matter anymore.

From what he could gather from what she'd told him, as well as listening to her other conversations, they all belonged to her, just as she did them. He saw no point in being jealous and he begrudgingly realised that he would have to learn to tolerate not only the two wolves cuddled up to his mate, but the entire pack, thankfully, the only other wolf he had a serious problem with was Sam.

He was glad it would be easier for him to tolerate Lahote; not only had Hermione changed, but it also seemed he had, too. He'd only had a couple of interactions with that particular wolf but he knew he was the most volatile member of the pack, he was the first to attack and kill when the time called for it and without question or hesitation. He had anger issues, severe anger issues. From what he'd witnessed in the other wolves thoughts, he was one incident away from being expelled from school due to fights, uncompleted school work, late arrivals, leaving school grounds without permission and having low attendance. Lahote's father wasn't helping matters, either.

Edward suspected that Hermione would have a thing or two to say about that if she ever met him; he hadn't known her long but he knew her thoughts on bullies and from everything he'd learned from her fathers in the last few days, Hermione had a wicked streak for vengeance when she felt it justified, he pitied the poor guy that pissed her off, and he reminded himself to never find himself in that position again. He couldn't believe she'd actually set him on fire! It was one of the few things that _could_ kill him.

But Lahote had changed, he knew that when he hadn't attempted to defend himself earlier that evening, he'd just stood there, his hands casually shoved in his pockets. He was the first to back down when he'd entered the room with Hermione, he was the first to care for Hermione when she'd fainted, he was the first to accept their highly strange and uncomfortable circumstances. He didn't know Lahote well but he knew the old Lahote, the Lahote before Hermione had arrived, was a completely different wolf and now he was a more tolerable one.

Black, on the other hand, was a massive pain in the side, and if anything, his hatred for his family had only grown since Bella had refused to see or talk with him. That hatred only intensified when he'd imprinted on Hermione and discovered her friendship with his family; you didn't have to be a mind reader to see that. But trust him, the feelings were mutual. Edward just hoped that tolerating him would keep him in Hermione's good graces; she was honestly the most terrifying person he'd ever met. Beautiful, intelligent, kind, selfless, but terrifying all the same.

His eyes refocused on the slumbering trio when he heard a content sigh fall from Hermione's lips and he watched as she snuggled further into the warmth of bodies that surrounded her, a smile tugging at her mouth. Her reaction solidified his decision. Yes, he would tolerate the wolves for her. She was happy around them, happier than he'd ever seen her.

He settled back into the couch, getting more comfortable and being content in watching her sleep peacefully. He knew she was, there were no signs of nightmares plaguing her that night. He never wanted to witness firsthand what he had seen in Lahote's memories and he didn't envy the wolf for having such an interaction with her, knowing he'd want to do everything he could to protect her but knowing that wasn't possible. The past couldn't be changed and she couldn't be protected from it no matter how much he wished it so.

~000~000~000~

Hermione woke with a smile on her face, feeling the warmth of the bodies that held her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking the sleep from them to see there hadn't been any movement during the night and everyone was where they'd been before she'd drifted off. Her head was cushioned on Paul's chest, it rising and falling gently with every breath he took, his arm held her to him, his hand pressed the small of her back, the heat radiating off it and through her clothing. Jacob was still laid behind her, his arm hooked around her stomach, his chest brushing against her back with his deep, even breathing, small puffs of breath hitting the back of her neck and tickling her. She was comfortable and warm; she certainly had no complaints about her slumber.

It'd been two nights since she'd escaped her nightmares, and she'd never felt more relaxed, rested or happy. Just being in the presence of her newly revealed soul bonds eased her fears and worries, brought her serenity and calmness.

She released a quiet, happy sigh, not wishing to disturb the sleeping teens in her bed and despite wanting to just snuggle into their warmth and sleep for a little longer, she knew she had plenty that needed doing that morning. One of which, involved making breakfast for ten plus people, if she knew her fathers as well as she thought, they'd have told their human guests not to bother eating breakfast as she always prepared it before a training session.

So, rather reluctantly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, being mindful not to jostle or wake the sleeping teens, and she stretched her arms above her head, her back making a satisfying cracking sound and she pushed her hair back from her face, it having fallen out of its restraint during the night and it now fell around her face in unruly curls, far bushier than before and resembling her younger years.

"Morning,"

She startled, her hand coming to press against her chest and she turned her head to see Edward sat on the couch, appearing as though he hadn't moved all night having the same book he'd been reading last night sat in his lap.

"Morning," she greeted softly.

"Did you have any trouble sleeping?"

She gave a bright smile, far brighter than she should've been able to so early in the morning and without having food or caffeine in her system.

"No, I haven't slept that well in as long as I can remember, I'm _so_ ready for training this morning; my fathers aren't going to know what's hit them," she grinned and he chuckled. "I'll just get ready and then you can help me make breakfast." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "You don't sleep which means you're not tired so you'll help me with breakfast, all you have to do is stand there and make sure nothing burns. Are the pack coming?" She asked and he nodded. "Thought so, that's a _lot_ of food, it's a good thing I can afford the shopping bill," she mused and he chuckled at her.

She carefully removed herself from the hold the two teens had on her before climbing out of bed and heading into the bathroom, emerging barely five minutes later. She'd pulled her hair back into a messy bun and had dressed in a white spaghetti strap top, a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and black trainers were clad on her feet with her wand tucked into her hair.

"Right then, I'll wake my fathers and then we can make a start on breakfast," she said as she left her bedroom and he stood and followed after her.

She stuck her head in her fathers' room and he chuckled at the mumbled threats from one of her fathers' before she left and headed to the kitchen. She pulled her wand from her hair and he watched in amazement as food started emerging from all the cupboards and it landed on the different countertops of which she directed them to; cartons of eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, hash browns, bread, tins of beans and fresh tomatoes.

"Let's get started," she flicked her wand once more and the radio started playing songs he didn't and couldn't recognise.

He sat on a stool, observing as she pottered about the kitchen, cracking open eggs and putting some in the frying pan and some in a bowl before whisking it. When she'd finished frying the eggs and making scrambled eggs, she cast a spell over them and started on the bacon, mushrooms and sausages, moving onto the bread and she used a Fire Charm to make toast before heating the beans and chopping the tomatoes and frying them. She focused her attention on the hash browns before making a pot of tea, coffee and grabbing the orange juice from one of the cupboards, and as she was preparing to transfer everything onto plates, the pack walked in.

"What is that divine smell?" Jared questioned, breathing in deeply and releasing a sigh of appreciation.

She snorted in amusement. "A full English breakfast."

"That's a thing?" Quil asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, it's a thing, a English traditional breakfast, now sit at the table, I hear my fathers up, Jacob and Paul, too."

He shrugged his shoulders before they all crossed to the dining table as her fathers, Paul and Jacob stepped from the corridor, dressed and readied for the day. Paul greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before taking a seat at the table with her fathers and Jacob.

"By the way, the Cullens are outside," Seth informed her. She thanked him before heading out of the tent, greeting them with smiles and escorting them through the wards.

" _What_ is that God awful smell?" Rosalie grimaced.

"A full English breakfast," Hermione replied.

"That's a thing?" Emmet asked with a raised eyebrow, exactly identical to how Quil had done so. They didn't realise it but the pack and Cullens were quite similar and mimicked each other's behaviour in ways they didn't see.

"Yes, it's a thing," she huffed before crossing to the table, taking a seat and once she was sat, everyone proceeded to eat.

After breakfast had been eaten, Hermione flicked her wand, sending the dirty dishes to the sink to clean themselves and she stood from the table.

"Time for training," she informed them.

They all followed her outside to their training spot where she was sure to erect a barrier between the pack and Cullens as a precaution, not wanting another repeat of the evening before.

"What was that?" Sam asked with slightly narrowed eyes as a tingle washed over them. It seemed the pack's words about them preferring her over Emily had put him in a bit of an untrusting mood.

"I've put up a barrier between you; I'm not risking it. And that's good that you noticed it, that means you're starting to recognise when magic is being used, you'll need that, it'll keep you alive as we can only offer you so much protection."

"We don't need your protection."

She raised an eyebrow as did her fathers and she saw each member of the pack eyeing their Alpha strangely whilst Paul and Jacob looked less than pleased with his behaviour and harsh tone.

"Maybe not from vampires, but from my kind you certainly do; soon enough you'll see exactly what we're capable, and I want you to take into account that I've only been knowingly practising magic since I was eleven, that's only eight years of training. Some of those that we're up against have been doing it for over half a century. They practice dark and unforgivable magic; they won't hesitate to torture or kill you. We would never resort to that in a battle but we've studied the dark arts so we can better understand it. If we know the theory behind a dark curse, we can recognise it and block it with the correct defence, if the case calls for it, we can even reverse it and heal the injured. We've an abundance of healing spells, charms and potions, but not all can heal dark curses, some may require Counter Curses and spells for that, if they exist," Hermione explained.

"We have spells that can do almost everything, we've spells that can hurt you," Remus took over, brushing a fallen leaf from his grey jumper that matched his grey tracksuit bottoms and white trainers, whilst Sirius had opted for wearing his customary black trousers, black t-shirt and black hiking boots. "We've spells that will make you bleed, that will bruise and break bones, that will enter your mind and control your every action and you are powerless against it. We've spells that will make you lose your sanity, that will torture and cause you unimaginable pain, mentally and physically. There are spells that can rupture your internal organs, sever limbs from your body, boil your blood, fill your lungs with fluid and suffocate you, cause blood to pour from every orifice, spells that can blast you into pieces and finally, spells that can and will kill you, some instantly, some slowly and painfully," he finished, seeing their horrified expressions.

"Fortunately, for you," Sirius added in a more joyous tone as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "We've spent months, _years_ , researching and learning how to defend against this type of magic. We can easily recognise most of these curses and we will teach you to do the same, so pay attention because what we teach you will be the line between life and death. And on a happier note, we only use spells that will incapacitate our opponent; we don't kill unless we have to."

"You've killed?" Collin whispered with wide eyes. A look of sorrow filled their faces and the three magical folk nodded regretfully.

"Yes, Collin, we've killed," Hermione whispered. "We're not proud of what we've done."

"What you did was to survive," Jasper said with a tone that dared them to argue with him. "It was war, people die."

"There are seven forms of magic, Transfiguration, Healing, Counter, Charms, Hexes, Jinxes and Curses. We will be focusing on the last four as these are the types of magic that will mostly be used. You've nothing to worry about regarding Counter magic as they simply reverse the effects of spells and they can't hurt you, but the others can," Hermione said, changing the subject, and they nodded as one. "We'll start with the least dangerous, Charms. Charms is a form of magic that adds or changes properties of an object, it focuses on what a spell does and not what it is, charms usually have longer resistance times. Jinxes are spells that are used with the intention to make you feel embarrassment and discomfort, and they give amusement to those witnessing it, it's usually something silly like making you burst into song uncontrollably or giving you boils, something a bully might use or friends may use against each other for pranking one another. Jinxes, although relatively harmless, can be used in battle and they're a great source of distraction, something an opponent would never expect to be used, such as causing them to trip and knocking them away."

"Hexes are a form of magic that causes moderate pain and suffering, it'll sting but it won't kill you. Again, discomfort and embarrassment come into play just as with Jinxes. And last but not least, Curses, which are the worst. Most curses are affiliated with Dark Magic and spells that will cause serious damage, harm and even death; these are the ones you'll have to be most cautious of. You can determine between the types of magic by the incantations, wand movements and the colours of the beams of light that are emitted, usually very dark or bright neon colours indicate serious damage heading your way, in which, you get out of the way or block it quickly."

"We know it's a lot to take in," Remus said, "The more time you spend with us, the quicker you'll pick up on things and you'll begin to understand what we mean or what we're referring to, and soon enough you'll be using our jargon."

"Fifty galleons, one of them is saying Merlin's Beard, Balls or Saggy Y-Fronts in a week," Sirius grinned. Hermione and Remus both sighed, Remus pinching the bridge of his nose and Hermione rolling her eyes, pulling snorts and chuckles from their observers.

Getting into position, Hermione stood with her back to their guests with Sirius and Remus facing her with a few feet between them, their wands trained on her, hers on them in return.

"Whatever happens, do _not_ interfere. If one of us is to get injured, it can be healed. We don't take our training lightly and there _will_ be injuries, that, I can guarantee you," Remus warned.

Three of them, in particular, _really_ didn't like the sound of that and they visibly stiffened, their hands clenching into tight fists.

"On the count of three," Sirius spoke clearly.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 10

**Thursday 9th November 2006**

Before Sirius had the chance to speak the first number, Remus lobbed a Slicing Hex at Hermione but she blocked it.

" _Protego_ ," she called, the blue shield appearing in front of her, the spell rebounded and Remus deflected it into a tree, as Hermione ducked and dodged the Body-bind Sirius sent her way.

She rolled across the ground and sent back two Stupefys in sync, quickly rising to her full height and sending two painful Stinging Hexes, to each of them, forcing them to keep their shields up. They dropped their shields and Sirius sent a Tripping Jinx whilst Remus sent a curse that would blind her. The two spells collided and before it hit Hermione, it exploded. She cast a _Protego Horibilis_ but she was still thrown backwards with the force, her back slamming into a tree and she fell to the floor with a loud thud, gasps and growls sounding in the background.

The pack was holding back Jacob and Paul whilst Emmet and Jasper held back Edward, everyone watching in surprised awed, not exactly wanting to look but not being able to look away either. It was obvious to them how intense and brutal the duel was, even if they knew nothing of the magic they were using against one another.

Hermione shakily stood to her feet and had to dive off to the side before she'd even reached her full height, as Remus threw a _Reducto_ , and a powerful one at that; it exploded as it hit a tree and it shattered into pieces, shards of wood littering the sky and raining over them as they hit the ground.

"Are you trying to kill her!" Seth's voice rose in shocked horror to what he was witnessing.

"No," the three magical folk replied in unison and without taking their eyes from one another, barely acknowledging their presence.

Sirius threw an _Incendio_ at her and Hermione did something they weren't expecting. " _Aquamenti_ ," she yelled with her wand pointed whilst still partially laid on the ground.

As a powerful jet of water was conjured, she aimed it at the large ball of fire heading her way and the water collided with the ball of fire, quickly extinguishing it and leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke. She then moved the jet of water and directed it towards Remus, increasing the force behind it and once it hit Remus, he was forcefully pushed back into a tree and he grunted against the pain of the impact.

"That was good, quick thinking _and_ you used it for both defence and offence without having to change spells, that'll save you time," Sirius praised.

She silently nodded before taking pity on her father and ending the spell, and with a flick of her wand, she sent a non-verbal _Flipendo_ at him. As Remus was standing back to his feet, she sent one to him as well, it hitting him and sending him flying back once more, just as Sirius blocked her jinx and sent one in return and she spun out of the way, not having enough time to erect a shield. She wasn't quick enough and she was hit, being sent hurtling backwards into another tree which she hit harder than she had the previous one, leaves from falling from branches upon the impact.

She winced in pain but stood and blocked Sirius' curse, but not Remus'. The Slicing Hex was stronger than usual, so instead of making a small cut, it made a deep wound, slicing through her clothing and hitting her stomach, opening a wound that immediately started pouring with blood. It started at her bellybutton and ended just below her right breast. In the background, the growls became more aggressive and she turned to look over her shoulder.

In her distraction, she failed to block a Stinging Hex and an _Incendio_. The _Incendio_ caught her left arm and she hissed in pain and the Stinging Hex caught her on her right shoulder, she yelped, narrowing her eyes.

"You cannot allow yourself to be distracted, it will be the death of you," Remus chided.

"You heard him," Jared said aloud, drawing the attention of Paul, Edward and Jacob. "She's distracted by you, you _have_ to calm down or she'll get hurt."

"She's already hurt," Edward snarled.

"She looks fine to me," he smirked in reply, gesturing to Hermione with a tip of his head. Hermione, who was now fully focused on the duel, blocking before sending a jinx, blocking and then sending off four hexes simultaneously.

Four differently coloured beams of light headed in her fathers' direction, two were blocked but the others weren't, the shields dropped under their force and they stumbled back, just as the Tempest Jinx struck Sirius, leaving a burn from the lightning bolt against his left side, and the _Defodio_ gouged a chunk out of Remus' right shoulder.

"That's better," Remus commented through his grimace of pain.

"Yeah, there's the Hermione we expected to go into a duel with, don't bother holding back, Snowflake, we can be healed," Sirius encouraged, holding his hand against the wound on his side.

"As you wish," she replied with a smirk pulling at her mouth.

Sirius groaned, realising what he'd just done. " _Why_ the hell did I do that?" He grouched. "Every time you look at me that way I always end up face first in the dirt."

"Yes, you do," Hermione agreed.

Without warning, she stepped forward and she was on the offence, firing off spells, curses, hexes and jinxes quicker than they had ever seen, if you blinked you'd miss it. She forced her fathers into a defensive manner, she was too quick for them to cast anything but a Shielding Charm and if they dropped their shields she would hit them, as it was, several spells were slipping through their defences. Sirius now had small cuts littering his stomach, tears in his t-shirt and Remus' right eye was swollen from being hit with a Stinging Hex, his eyesight being impaired by the injury, and he was limping from an arrow he'd had to pull from of his leg, courtesy of Hermione.

"Whoa! She's amazing," She heard whispers of awe and shock, but she blocked them out, focusing on the duel.

Hermione stopped with the spell casting and Sirius took the bait, dropping his shield and throwing a Binding Curse at her in succession. Hermione had been waiting for it and she made her move. She jumped into the air and flipped over, landing on the floor and rolling over her shoulder, quickly sending a Tickling Jinx at Sirius from her crouch. It hit him square in the chest and he immediately fell to the floor, laughing in uncontrollable hysterics.

"Not again," Sirius bellowed through his laughing fit, rolling around on the floor.

She'd taken him out, that left Remus.

She turned on the spot and apparated before she'd even rose to full height. Remus gripped his wand tighter and he turned to the left when he heard the telltale 'crack' of apparition, but he couldn't see Hermione. He narrowed his eyes the best he could, given their condition.

"Disillusionment Charm, well done, Cub," he praised out loud. "I'm guessing a Silencing Charm, too, I can't hear your footsteps, the disillusionment is perfectly cast; that will give you an advantage in battle, unfortunately for you, I can still _smell_ you."

He caught sight of a bright beam of purple light from the corner of his uninjured eye and threw up a shield just in the nick of time as it collided with his shield, ricocheting and heading in the direction of the wolf pack.

" _Protego Totalum_ ," a voice called and they all startled in surprise as the voice came from in front of them.

A blue-silver shield appeared, covering them and the spell collided with it before the shield dropped and Hermione reappeared, stood before them. Her breathing was erratic, the rise and fall of her chest fast and unrelenting, curls had spilt out of her bun and stuck to her face and the back of her neck, blood coated her clothing and dropped to the ground. Everyone stared in horror, anticipation and surprise.

She spared a glance to Sam as her eyes darted over her shoulder. "That spell would've broken every bone in your body if I hadn't have blocked it," she informed him, them all looking nauseous at the news.

Remus continued with his assault of spells and she cast another _Protego Totalum_ , pouring her magic into it to strengthen it, if the shield dropped or failed, the spells would not only hit her but those behind her.

"That spell would've blinded you...That one would've transfigured into a venomous snake and bitten you...That green one he just sent at me is what we call _Orbis_ , it would've opened up a hole beneath me and sucked me into the ground...That pink one is _Immobulus_ , it's a Freezing Charm, it freezes an opponent in place and leaves you open to attack...That yellow one is remarkably painful, it would've caused fire to burn me from the inside out, a slow and painful death," she looked behind her slightly and then to the side, they were all staring at her both horrified and awed.

"We wouldn't use most of these spells in battle but the Death Eaters _will_ , and for that, you need to be able to know how to recognise them, this is training for us, but a visual lecture for you. You may be less fragile than us, some more than others," her eyes flickered to the Cullens, "But they will hurt whether your dead or alive."

Before they could respond, she faced forward, dropped the shield and took off in a run, ducking behind a tree as Remus threw a curse at her. It burned a hole straight threw the centre of the tree and they almost laughed when they saw Hermione's surprised expression through the hole it left behind.

"Well then, a bit excessive don't you think?" She teased her father before turning on the spot and apparating behind Remus.

She wasn't expecting to hear another 'crack' landing after her and she felt a spell hit her in the centre of her back, she cried out in pain as another cut appeared, warm liquid running down her back and she fell to the ground, the growls and snarls picking up in the background noise once more.

It seemed Sirius had finally managed to break free of the Tickling Jinx and despite her pain, she kicked out with her leg and it collided with the back of Sirius' knees, he released a curse as he tumbled to the ground, groaning when he landed on his back. Hermione quickly hit Remus with a Stunner and she finally hit him square in the chest and he fell to the ground, frozen in place.

Hermione and Sirius both stood and with his wand out of reach, he lunged at her and caught her, knocking her wand out of her hand and he crushed her against him, holding her in place.

Hermione stomped on his foot, elbowed him harshly in his stomach and then grabbed his arm, flipping him over her shoulder and he groaned as he hit the ground with a 'thud'. Hermione then dived off to the side, reaching for her wand and dodging the spell Remus had sent her way after breaking free of the Stunner, something he had his Lycanthropy to thank for. She slid across the floor, getting dirt in her wounds and she gripped her wand in her hand, rolling backwards over her shoulder and kneeling against the floor as she breathed heavily.

" _Accio_ wand," Sirius' voice called clearly and gasps were heard when his wand flew across the woods and landed in his outstretched palm.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. Wandless and nonverbal magic it was then.

She nonverbally sent a hex that packed one hell of a punch if it landed its mark; Sirius and Remus didn't recognise it and therefore didn't cast a strong enough shield to defend or deflect, sending them both flying backwards. Sirius landed on his arm and cursed loudly as they all heard a snap; it was broken.

He was quick to rise to his feet, ducking behind a tree as Hermione sent an _Expulso_ , likely to cause more broken bones. Sirius took the time as she duelled with Remus to erect an Anti-apparition ward, and he was right to as Hermione soon turned on the spot but didn't move. A frown pulled at her face before she uttered a curse beneath her breath.

She fell to the ground to dodge Remus' hex and said, "Anti-apparition wards, I can't apparate but neither can they," she explained to their confused observers. Sirius stepped out from behind the tree, trapping Hermione between him and Remus.

" _Fumos Duo_ ," she called, thick smoke rising from the ground and obscuring their view, giving her the chance to slip behind Sirius as she heard coughing.

"That was good thinking, Snowflake," Sirius wheezed and with a wave of his wand he vanished the smoke, everything once more becoming clear.

" _Expelliarmus_ ," she called, disarming Sirius from behind and she caught his wand in the opposite hand, sending a Body-bind at him, effectively cutting him out of the duel.

She tried to disarm Remus but he'd seen it coming and was able to block it, the spell rebounding in her direction which she ducked. She had him on the defence as he was slowly backing up, now being stood before the Cullens, similarly to how Hermione had been with the pack. He couldn't risk dropping his shield as her magic only grew more powerful the more confident and frustrated she became, making her spells more precise and stronger, meaning they hurt more and required more of an effort to block.

"I can't figure out who's winning," Emmet comment. "Ow!" He whined and Remus spared a glance over his shoulder to see the large vampire scowling, pouting really, as he rubbed at his arm.

"Don't distract them," Alice hissed. "They're already injured; who knows what'll happen if any of those beams hit him because he was distracted by you?"

"They'll likely put me in a coma," Remus panted.

"Excuse me?" Carlisle frowned.

"The spells she's using, if they don't kill me, they'll likely put me in a coma, usually they'd severely injure but Hermione has and always will be a powerful witch. The longer she's in battle, the more confident she becomes and she gets frustrated. Her magic builds and rushes through her entire body, her strength building and building, which means her magic's more volatile and she can channel it into her spell casting, making the spells more potent and harmful without meaning to. Don't ever underestimate Hermione; I've only ever seen her fall in battle once in five years..." He trailed off, letting his words sink in.

Hermione dropped to the floor and spun, skilfully finding the weakness in his shield and hitting him with a Jelly-Leg Jinx. His weakened legs couldn't hold his weight and he fell to the floor as she rose to full height and cast a silent Disarming Charm, catching his wand in her hand before hitting him with a Body-bind and then muttering an _Incarcerous_. Ropes shot out of the tip of her wand, tying both of her fathers to a tree and then she transfigured the ropes into chains to make the restraints stronger.

"I win," she panted, with three wands held in her hand victoriously.

She turned to see their observers all staring at her in awe, looks of complete wonder and horror covering their faces. Jasper looked impressed, Rosalie like she wanted to laugh, Emmet excited and practically bouncing on the balls of his feet and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Alice and Esme looked worried but proud, and Carlisle looked as though he was restraining himself from rushing over to them and giving them a full medical examination. Hermione didn't blame him. Edward, Paul and Jacob stared at her with a mixture of worry, fear and pride, Collin and Brady had their mouths hung open, as did Leah and the others clapped enthusiastically, whilst Sam searched her with appraising eyes.

She had dirt covering her face, hands and knees, blood covered her clothing, shoulders, arms, back, forehead and stomach. She had rips and tears in her clothing, bruises were forming from being slammed into trees, her hair was dirty with twigs and leaves sticking out, curls stuck to the back of her neck and face, sweat-soaked. Her breathing was erratic and her stance was firm, but becoming less so the more she stood, the exhaustion from the duel setting in and the adrenaline wearing off as pain shot through her body and her hand came up to her injured stomach.

She released a hiss before moving to release her fathers from the binds, and they rose to their feet, smiling at her proudly. They had several injuries themselves, bruises, burns, cuts, swollen body parts and Sirius was cradling his broken arm, but she had more injuries combined.

"That's the best we've seen you duel, you're practically lethal," Sirius grinned but it soon turned into a grimace when he winced in pain.

"I've more injuries than the both of you combined," she pointed out.

"Yes, but you were duelling the _both_ of us; we outnumber you. We've nearly twenty years experience over you, we've fought in two wars and we didn't hold back. You still beat us, even if you are injured, you won the duel. That's something you should be proud of; even Moody struggled with duelling two assailants at once," Remus praised and she nodded slowly, feeling a headache forming

"What the hell was that?" Emmet yelled, no longer being able to hold in his excitement and they looked to his wide grin. "Dude, she kicked your asses," he laughed in glee. "I've never seen anything as awesome as that, ever!" He exclaimed, Hermione chuckling but it soon tapered off into a wince of pain.

"You think you can take her?" Sirius challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Emmet scoffed. "Easily,"

Remus and Sirius looked to one another, sharing a smirk.

"Alright then, we wish you luck, you're going to need it," Remus said before he and Sirius crossed over to stand with the Cullens and Emmet confidently waltzed up to Hermione.

Before anyone could protest that it clearly wasn't a fair fight, Hermione had removed the Anti-apparition wards, spun on her heel and apparated and within the blink of an eye, she reappeared behind Emmet and hit him with the strongest _Flipendo_ she could muster. Thankfully, her magic was still unsettled after being in the most intense training session she'd ever endured and it tripled the effect of her spell work. The _Flipendo_ hit him square in the middle of his back and he was hurtled face-first into a tree, crashing straight through it and taking the entire thing down with him, it crashing against the floor.

Gasps and mutters of surprise sounded.

"Dude, she kicked your ass!" Jared taunted with a smirk, using the large vampire's words against him.

"Did warn you, Mate," Sirius laughed loudly. The pack cried and guffawed with laughter, Jasper and Rosalie laughed loudly, Edward smirked whilst Alice, Carlisle and Esme looked to be struggling with amusement, surprise and concern.

Emmet rose to his full height, pushing the fallen tree further away from him and he narrowed his eyes before charging at Hermione and not seeming to care he wasn't running at human speed. Fortunately for Hermione, witches and wizards had better reaction times when it came to vampires, an added feature of evolution to help them defend themselves, and now she had her enhanced senses from her Animagus form, too. She quickly fired off a Tripping Jinx and Emmet face planted the ground, skidding to a stop. He hit the floor in annoyance, creating a crater and punching a few feet below the ground. He clenched his fists before standing and leaping towards her.

" _Melofors_ ," she said calmly, and as a result, a giant pumpkin appeared, encasing Emmet's head, cutting off his vision and he ploughed straight through _five_ trees before managing to slow himself to a stop and ripping the pumpkin off himself.

He spun to face her with an unimpressed scowl and pumpkin insides littering his hair and stuck to his face. He crouched low before pushing off the ground and leaping into the air. Hermione rolled her eyes and pointed her wand at herself, quickly transfiguring herself into a small bird, a canary, and she took flight, effectively dodging Emmet's landing that shook the ground and his attempt to grab her.

"Where'd she go?" He asked, puzzled that he couldn't see, hear or smell her.

Remus chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings," he warned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The large vampire frowned.

"It means you should _never_ have your back to an opponent," Sirius spoke through his laughter.

He startled, visibly jumping when he looked over his shoulder to see Hermione stood behind him, her wand pointed at him before she whispered, " _Confringo_."

The bottom of Emmet's jeans caught fire and he yelled in surprise, stomping and trying to put it out without having to touch it with his bare hands. She hit him with a powerful Stunner and then hosed him down with an _Aquamenti_ , leaving him uninjured and soaking wet as he was sprawled out on the ground.

Rosalie clapped loudly and whistled in appreciation whilst the others stared in awe and surprise at how easily she'd taken him down.

"You have a weird sense of humour," Hermione commented, eyeing the stunning vampire in amusement.

Rosalie shrugged her shoulders, unphased by Hermione's words and she folded her arms over her chest. "You try living with him for decades and you'll find joy in him getting his ass handed to him."

Hermione laughed before it was cut off by a wince of pain, the adrenaline _definitely_ having worn off.

"Well, I think that's all for training this morning, you have to get to school, we have injuries to heal and after lunch, we'll head out and start on the wards for your land," Remus spoke.

"What about Rocky over there?" Alice asked amused, looking down at the unmoving form that was her brother.

"It'll wear off in a couple of minutes, vampires and werewolves are physically stronger and therefore spells that take hours to wear off will usually only take a few minutes, ten at most, depends on the strength of the magic involved, he'll be fine," Sirius shrugged unconcerned before releasing a grunt when he disturbed his arm.

"Let's get your arm healed before anything else," Hermione suggested, crossing to the tent with everyone following behind her.

Whilst they convened in the living room, she continued to her potions lab, returning with several tubs and vials levitating behind her. Hermione worked quickly as she sealed their cuts, using Dittany and Essence of Murtlap on the deeper wounds and Burn Salve on the burns. Their observers all seemed to wince or grimace when they saw the deep gashes on her stomach and back, and she cried out when the creams and potions were applied to her wounds by her fathers. Paul, Jacob and Edward had to the restrained.

They each downed a Blood Replenishing Potion, followed by a Pain Potion and Sirius was a given Skele-Gro Potion and they each drank a Pepper-Up Potion before being covered in generous amounts of Bruise Removal Paste.

They sat on the couches with green paste covering their faces, stomachs, shoulders and arms and that was just what was visible.

Sensing their stares, Hermione tiredly peeled opened her eyes to find them watching her with looks of concern.

"We're fine," she promised. "The minor cuts are already healed, Remus' eye will be fine in about twenty minutes, the burns will be healed in about thirty minutes, Sirius' arm will be healed in about forty minutes as it wasn't too bad a break and my cuts will be healed within an hour, our bruises will be gone in a few hours since we caught them quickly and they can't worsen. Unfortunately, we can't wash this paste off, no matter how disgusting it smells," she grimaced.

"Is it always like that?" Carlisle asked.

"Training? Yes, we haven't had a duel yet were none of us have had less than five injuries," Hermione confessed. "You thought we were joking about all the different spells? We fight to capture and incapacitate, Death Eaters fight to kill and destroy. We would never use some of the spells you saw us cast today; we just wanted to show you how dangerous our life is. Sometimes in desperate situations, we'll use a _Sectumsempra_ or something similar, but we never use Unforgivables or dark magic, grey at best."

"Shouldn't you be getting to school?" Sirius asked with his eyes closed and head resting against the back of the couch.

"I suppose so," Alice sighed.

"And I better get to work. It's fascinating watching your healing process," Carlisle commented.

"When everything isn't so hectic, I'll show you my potions lab and the ingredients for my potions and creams and how I make them," Hermione promised and Carlisle beamed in response.

"You're looking at a future Potions Mistress," Remus said tiredly but proudly.

"Or Charms Mistress, Transfiguration Mistress, Healer, Professor, Lawyer, Spell Creator..." Sirius listed off effortlessly.

"We get it", Hermione muttered.

"No, you don't. You aren't the 'Brightest Witch of the Age' for nothing, Snowflake. You aren't feared for nothing. You aren't the number one target for nothing..."

"Papa," she grumbled and he thankfully dropped the subject.

With that, the Cullens said their goodbyes and took their leave with minimal fighting with the pack, who also left not long after, making arrangements to meet up after lunch.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Paul asked her, as her fathers stood from the couch and left the room, leaving to get a couple more hours of sleep whilst they healed. Jacob hovered near the entrance.

"I'm fine, boys, I promise, I've had worse injuries than this, injuries that almost killed me."

"That doesn't make me feel better," he grouched and she snorted.

"I do this twice a day, there's nothing wrong with me, you'll see that after lunch when all of my injuries are gone. You should go and do whatever it is you boys do when you're not at school, take some time for yourselves." She could see they wanted to protest but reluctantly agreed. Paul made to cross over to her but she stopped him with a shake of her head and a raised hand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, this paste smells horrific, it's making me feel nauseous and your sense of smell is stronger than mine, I don't want you throwing up all over me or my lovely couch," she patted the cushion beside her.

He snorted. "Later?"

"Later," she agreed and he grinned. "I'll see you after lunch."


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Thursday 9th November 2006**

Hermione landed with a 'crack' of apparition in the woods by the edge of First Beach where she was meeting the pack; her fathers were just finishing up with lunch before they joined them and they'd make a start on the wards.

Hermione stepped out of the woods and crossed over to the pack, who she could see were gathered in a group and they were pushing and shoving one another playfully.

"Hey, Hermione, you clean up well."

When she reached them, her hand came up and she slapped Jared on the back of the head and he scowled at her, rubbing at the aching spot whilst the others sniggered.

"If you're referring to the lack of green slime covering my skin, the twigs and leaves no longer taking up home in my terrifyingly frizzy hair and the blood, then thank you," she replied, seeing them all appraising her appearance, searching for injuries. She knew they wouldn't find any.

"There's not a mark on you," Quil frowned.

"Healing Magic, it's quite brilliant. Did you know we can heal paralysis and the common cold?"

"Seriously?" Seth asked surprised.

"Yes," she replied, her eyes darting about the group and seeing someone was missing. "Where's Paul?"

"He hasn't turned up yet, he was supposed to be here an hour ago," Embry shrugged his shoulders, not looking the least bit concerned.

Jacob watched her carefully when her eyes fell downcast and her hand came up, gently rubbing at her chest where her heart sat beneath and a frown pulled at her brow.

"What is it?" Jacob questioned, stepping closer to her out of concern.

"I'm not sure, I just have this feeling..." She tipped her head slightly to see they were watching her cautiously. "It's hard to explain, but, I've always had the ability to tell when she something bad was going to happen, it's my instincts, they've never failed me yet, but it's not just that. I have this ache in my chest, it's getting stronger, painful," she winced, rubbing a little harder over the spot. Her eyes flickered between them, as if searching for answers only they'd be able to give her before she felt realisation smack her like a tonne of bricks. "Merlin! He's in trouble, he needs me," she muttered, a concerned frown crossing her face.

"How'd you know?" Sam asked her.

"I can _feel_ it, I can feel _him_. I can get a feel of his emotions, sense when something's wrong or when he's hurt. I have to get to him. Where does he live?" She asked, panic surfacing in her eyes and her voice rising slightly.

"I'll take you," both Jared and Jacob chorused before they frowned at one another.

"No, I'll apparate, it's quicker. Do any of you know where he lives?" She questioned and they all nodded. "Who's been to his house the most?"

"Me," Jared answered.

"I need to see your memories."

Sam's form stiffened. "Why?" He asked, his tone colder than intended.

"I can only apparate to places I've either seen or been to before. I could splinch myself otherwise, ripping or tearing parts of my body off during travel. It's painful and can kill, so I'd like to avoid that." She looked to Jared. "I won't look at anything other than his location; I need your permission to enter your thoughts."

"Will it hurt?"

"No, I will be doing it under your permission and I'll be gentle. There's many methods of forcing oneself into someone's thoughts; I prefer the least painful approach."

"Okay," he nodded but looked hesitant.

"Just think about Paul's house, only think about Paul's house. I won't have to go searching through your memories that way." She pulled her wand from her sleeve and aimed it at him, whispering " _Legilimens_ ,"

She felt herself being pulled inside his mind and the first memory she came to was of a much younger Jared and Paul stood outside what looked to be a hand-built cabin, painted red with a few lamps on either side of the door and a hand railing and porch. She didn't bother paying attention to what was going on in the memory, only needing to see the house and its surroundings and she quickly ended the spell, slipping from Jared's mind.

"Are you going to do it then?" Jared asked her.

"I already have," she answered, his eyes widening slightly at the news. "My fathers will be here shortly, if I don't return before they arrive, tell them I've something to take care of and I'll send them a Patronus."

Before they could reply, she spun on her heel and disappeared from view.

~000~000~000~

Hermione landed with a crack and her eyes immediately searched her surroundings, seeing a cabin-house a little ways in front of her. It looked as it had in Jared's memory except the paint was faded, flaking and chipped, the short cut grass was damp, the railing was missing a few spindles and there was a hole in the bottom step of the porch. The roofing was a faded grey and covered in moss, trees littered the grounds and the door and window panes were a dull white. As her eyes continued with their appraisal, the sounds of shattering glass and shouted profanities drew her attention and without thought or hesitation, she rushed forward with her wand in hand. She bounded up the steps, jumping over the bottom step entirely and stepping around the crack in one of the wooden planks before pulling open the door and stepping inside, heading straight for the scene of the noise.

She found herself in a small kitchen, fitted with all of the typically expected muggle appliances, a small kitchen table and it held dark wooden flooring and plain blue walls. Glass littered the floor and surface of the table and it looked to be broken plates, mugs and glasses. Chairs had been knocked over, one was missing a leg that lay on the ground on the other side of the room and dark liquid ran down the wall to the right of her. She caught sight of a slightly thicker substance on the ground, the floor being too dark to see the colour but she could _smell_ it was blood.

A man paced back and forth as he plucked a plate from the counter and launched it at the wall, Hermione ducking as the porcelain pieces cracked under the force and ricocheted before hitting the ground. He muttered to himself, every so often yelling a "fuck" or "bastard", his voice carrying and aimed towards a corridor. Insults she knew were meant for Paul.

Her anger made an appearance, slowly building within her and she gripped her wand tightly, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she took in his appearance. He was quite a bit shorter than Paul which was to be expected, he had an average build with his skin being a shade lighter than Paul's. His hair was longer as was tradition with the men in the Tribe, it was a little lighter than Paul's colouring and tied back at the nape of his neck, falling just above the middle of his back. His nose and ears were a little too big for his body and his jaw and chin a little rounder than Paul's. If Hermione were honest, the only resemblance to Paul was his dark eyes so she assumed Paul had gotten the majority of his mother's features and colouring.

The pacing halted to a stop and his eyes gave her the once over. "Who're you? How'd you get in here? What'd you want?"

"I want to see Paul," she replied coldly, more so than she'd intended but she hadn't been able to prevent it. She was surprised she hadn't smacked him yet after what she knew of Paul's childhood.

He laughed cruelly. "You're his _whore_ then?" He taunted.

When Hermione didn't rise to the bait and remained quiet, anger shone through his eyes and he advanced threateningly. When he was too close for her liking, she grabbed his arm, twisted beneath it and flung him over her shoulder until he hit the ground with a 'thud' and he released a breathless gasp as he stared up at her with surprised eyes.

"No, I'm _not_ his whore. I actually care about your son, you've no idea how special he is and you never will."

She muttered beneath her breath, hitting him with a Body-bind before leaving him on the floor, stepping away from him and walking further into the house, following the trail of blood. She came to a door that was left ajar and she slowly pushed it open before stepping inside it. The room was small with barely enough space for the single bed, wardrobe and desk that resided in it. The walls were black, the flooring a dark brown wood and a single window sat before the desk. She had no idea how someone of Paul's stature slept in such a small space, would he even fit in the bed? She doubted it.

She barely held in her gasp and her anger only climbed when she saw Paul sitting on the edge of the bed, his head buried in his hands with his elbows resting against his knees. He had several cuts on his chest and arms, and from his head wound, blood dripped down his hand and forearm, hitting the ground in little droplets. From her place by the door, she could see the shards of glass that were embedded in the wounds.

She approached as calmly as she could manage and once she reached him, she crouched down before him, set her wand on the ground and she reached up with her hands, taking a hold of his and pulling them away from his head. At her touch, his head lifted and he looked to her with tired eyes.

"What're you doing here?" He asked quietly.

"You needed me," she replied softly. "I could feel it."

"How?" He muttered.

"You're my soul bond, I can sense your emotions, when you're in danger, I can sense when you need me or when you're hurt. When I arrived at the beach and saw you weren't there, I knew something wasn't right. I felt an ache in my chest; you needed me and so I came to you."

"How'd you get here?"

"I apparated, Jared let me look at his memories so I could come to you. Now, let's get you healed up," she said softly.

"I'll be fine, I heal quickly."

"No," she shook her head. "I know you can heal quickly but when I'm with you and I know there's something I can do to help you, I'll do it, I _have_ to do it. So please, let me heal you," she was almost at the point of begging. His eyes searched hers carefully before he released a sigh and nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly before reaching for her beaded bag and removing some Dittany. "This shouldn't hurt," she told him as she reached for her wand, aimed it at his chest and whispered, " _Tergeo._ "

Feeling a cool sensation wash over him, Paul tipped his head down to glance at his chest, seeing the blood slowly disappearing from his skin. She set her wand down before proceeding to remove the small shards of glass from his wounds and once she was done, she instructed Paul lie on his back and she perched on the edge of the mattress beside him.

"It may sting a little," she warned before reaching for the Dittany and putting a drop of the potion on each of his cuts. He winced and she apologised whilst gently rubbing the potion around the wound to help it work faster, Paul seemed to relax under her touch.

When the cuts closed up, she turned her attention to his head wound, seeing it was far deeper than the others had been and she glowered at it fiercely. She siphoned away the blood before using both Dittany and Essence of Murtlap to close up the wound, once more massaging the treatment around the area and he sighed at the contact.

When she removed a Blood Replenishing Potion from her beaded bag, she held it out to him. "Take two mouthfuls and you shouldn't feel as light-headed," she instructed and he sat up and took the vial from her, gagging and spluttering at the taste. "I know, it taste's horrendous but you've never been forced to try Sirius' cooking, and for that, you should be grateful," she said and he chuckled at her.

After returning the empty vials to her beaded bag, she looked to Paul, seeing he'd propped himself up against the headboard, his form being too large for the too-small bed. Her eyes slowly scanned his body in search of any injuries she may have missed and that needed tending to.

"I'm fine, Hermione, you healed everything, rather efficiently in fact," he gave her a cocky smirk and wriggled his eyebrows.

Despite her foul mood, she laughed at him, only for it to be cut short when she heard noises in the kitchen, a scowl marring her features.

"Pack your stuff, Paul," she instructed.

"What? Why?" He frowned.

"You can't stay here."

"Where exactly am I supposed to go?"

"You're staying with me," she said, shrugging her shoulders as if the answer had been obvious.

"I can't,"

"Yes, you can," she argued. "The pack'll be spending a lot of time at my place and you need somewhere you won't be bullied or attacked by deranged arseholes. You're my soul bond, not only do I not like the idea of you being hurt, I _hate_ the thought of you not being safe, so, you living with me and my fathers is the only logical option. You're eighteen; your father can't stop you from leaving or moving out. Pack your stuff or I'll do it for you, I'm sure there's things you don't want me nosing through."

He stared at her silently before taking her by surprise when he grabbed her and pulled her to him, a squeak of surprise falling from her but it was soon silenced when he tilted his head and pressed his mouth to hers and she relaxed against him. Far sooner than his liking and before Paul could deepen the kiss, she pulled away from him.

"Later, you have to pack."

"That's twice you've done that," he scowled.

"I won't do it a third time, I promise, now get packing, everyone's waiting for us at the beach and it'll take a while for us to put the wards up."

"Fine," he grumbled.

She stood from the bed, allowing him the room to stand from it and he retrieved a duffle bag from his wardrobe, with Hermione quickly casting an Extension and Feather-Light Charm on the inside to allow for more items to be held. He grinned at the display before crossing to his wardrobe, gathering his clothes and placing them inside whilst Hermione stood by the door, out of the way.

"How'd you get past him?" He asked distractedly.

"He got awfully mouthy with me and I didn't appreciate it. So when he approached, quite aggressively I might add, he found himself lying on the ground, I didn't even use magic," she grinned and he chuckled at her, a look of pride entering his eyes. "I did, however, use magic to knock him out but as you can tell from all that noise he's making, the spell's worn off, shame really," she sighed and he snorted.

It didn't take him long to pack his belongings as most of his clothing had been destroyed or no longer fit due to his phasing and he had minimal school supplies. Seeing this, she frowned.

"I'm going to have to figure out a way to allow your clothes to change with you so they don't get ruined, I'm sure I've read about a spell in one of my books," she mused aloud and gave her an amused look before taking her hand in his and together they walked out of his bedroom, his duffle bag held in his other hand.

When they entered the kitchen, Paul's father was sitting at the table, a bottle of vodka opened and half-empty as he swigged from it like it was water, and upon their entrance, his eyes fell to Paul, a look of disgust settling over his face. Paul felt Hermione bristle beside him.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving, you don't want me here and I don't want to be here. I'm going somewhere I am wanted."

His father laughed cruelly. "Who'd want you?"

Hermione felt Paul stiffen and she squeezed his hand. "I do," she spoke clearly with a chilly tone to her voice, drawing the attention of his father. "As do my fathers." She saw him shrink back at the news. "What? Have any homophobic comments you'd like to share, Mr. Lahote? Test my patience, I dare you."

He rose from his chair, it clattering against the ground and he glared at her as he took a large swig from the vodka bottle.

"You lay a finger on me and I'll have you arrested and imprisoned before you're able to blink; you may not know of me, Mr Lahote, but I assure you, I'm an incredibly influential person, I hold titles of aristocracy in Europe." He seemed surprised by the news which was to be expected. Hermione would never usually reveal such information, but she wanted him to know exactly who he was dealing with. "If you so much as look at Paul again, I assure you, you _will_ face the full wrath of the House of Black."

"Billy Black wouldn't do a thing," he snorted cruelly.

"I'm not related to Billy Black; I am Lady Hermione Black, my father is Lord Sirius Orion Black of the Noble House of Black, we are the _second_ wealthiest family in Europe, second only to our cousins, the House of Malfoy. My family is not known for being very forgiving, perhaps you should type our name into a search engine, learn what you can about what and who you've made an enemy of."

Without a second glance, she tugged on Paul's hand and walked out of the house, pulling him over to the trees so his father wouldn't see them leaving. Once they were in the cover of the trees, she heard Paul drop his duffle bag to the ground and he halted in his steps, Hermione almost tripping over before she turned to face him. When she found herself locking gazes with dark, heated eyes that were focused on nothing but her, she felt her cheeks flush with warmth and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Why are you looking at me like that? We have to get to the others; they're waiting for us."

He didn't answer her question, rather, he stepped forward, backing her up until she hit the tree behind her and the hand she wasn't currently holding came up to the tree trunk, resting by her head and his gaze locked on hers, his dark eyes smouldering, making Hermione's stomach flutter.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She repeated nervously, unconsciously biting at her lower lip; it'd become somewhat of a habit over the years.

His eyes dropped to watch the action and before she had the chance to comprehend what had happened, he ducked down and his mouth was on hers. She knew it immediately, this kiss was far different from the previous ones they'd shared, as Paul wasted no time in swiping his tongue across her bottom lip and taking advantage of her little gasp when her mouth parted, slipping his tongue into her mouth to explore the caverns he was quickly becoming acquainted with. His hand moved from the tree and slipped into her hair, getting tangled in her soft curls whilst the other released her and it snaked around her waist, pulling her up onto her tiptoes and into him.

Her arms looped around his neck, her hands tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck and when he gave a low wolf-like growl that rumbled in his chest, she did it again and he held her tighter, almost squeezing her to death but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She gave a small squeak of surprise when Paul's arm dropped from her waist and swooped down under her arse, lifting her off the ground and she was forced to wrap her legs around his waist to keep balance. She felt her back hit against the tree and she gave a little moan when Paul's hands gripped her hips tightly, likely to leave bruises, but again, she couldn't find it in herself to care.

Paul pulled away from her reluctantly, the need for oxygen affecting him just as much as it did her, and she breathed heavily as his mouth travelled down her neck, pressing butterfly kisses to her skin and she felt his nose nuzzle at her throat. He inhaled deeply, releasing a happy sigh before doing it again. A shiver ran through her, her hand wound into his hair, gripping the strands tightly and her arm wrapped around his neck, her nails biting into his bare shoulders. His chest pressed tightly to hers, she could feel his overly abnormal body heat warming her already flushed skin even through her t-shirt.

"We have to meet the others," she muttered.

He hummed distractedly in reply, still nuzzling at her neck and throat. "You smell nice," he murmured, his breath tickling her skin and he placed a quick kiss there before going back to nuzzling her.

"It's a wolf thing, you're just saying that because I smell like you," she muttered.

He chuckled before humming in agreement. "You do smell like me, it's quite calming knowing that my scent's all over you." She muttered grumbles beneath her breath and his mouth tugged into a smirk. "But, you still smell like you, all fruity and soft. What is that, peaches?"

"It's erm..." She gasped when he nipped at her skin, soothing it with gentle kisses and licks. "Vanilla... Maybe strawberries, I can't remember..."

"My new favourite smell," he promised, just before he sucked at her neck, just below her ear. It was her weak spot. Hermione gave a low moan and tugged on his hair, her nails digging into him harder and his responsive growl vibrated in his chest, tickling her. "And _that_ is my favourite sound," he whispered huskily in her ear.

She moved her hands to his face and pulled him away from her neck, crashing her mouth against his, continuing from where'd they'd left off after having to break away for air.

Hermione's body shivered against his, moaning as Paul's hands trailed and squeezed over her back, down her neck, arms and sides, the heat of his body felt through her clothing. A growl rumbled in his chest and a groan fell from him under her soft exploration of his body; her hands ghosting over his neck and strong shoulders, down his muscled arms, across his collar bone and down his well-defined chest and abdomen, feeling the twitch of his muscles under her touch, his body shuddering and his hands gripping her tighter.

They pulled away unexpectedly when a large silver-blue dog appeared beside them on the ground, as words fell from its mouth.

 _"Snowflake, where the_ fuck _are you? What's happening? If you don't get yourself here now, you're grounded!"_ Sirius's Patronus growled.

Paul gave a snort of amusement but it was soon replaced with grumbles at having been interrupted.

"I did tell you they were waiting for us," she said breathlessly, unwrapping her legs from around his waist and sliding down his body until her feet hit the ground. He didn't let go of her, but he did look rather pleased with himself.

Hermione didn't need to see why; it was obvious. Her entire face was likely flushed pink -at least, that's the way it felt-, her lips swollen and her chest rising and falling as she got used to the feeling of breathing in oxygen once more. It irritated her that he didn't seem to be as affected, his hair was slightly askew and his breathing heavy but far more controlled than hers.

She pulled back from him and he was reluctant to let her go as she used her wand to cast a few Glamour and Refreshing Charms to make herself look more presentable. She crossed over to his duffle bag, picked it up and walked back over to him and he took her hand and the bag and he braced himself as she turned on her heel with her wand in hand.

~000~000~000~

"I _hate_ that," Paul groaned as he bent over slightly, his hands on his knees and his head bowed.

"You should be over it by now," she shrugged her shoulders. He grumbled beneath his breath and she chuckled.

"Where the fuck were you!"

She found herself being pulled away from Paul and into two chests, her fathers'. They both pulled back from her, their eyes trailing her form in search of injuries.

"Well?"

Her eyes darted around her, seeing she was surrounded by the pack and they wore expressions of amusement but concern. With a tip of her head, she gestured that they should walk further down the beach and her fathers nodded before storming off, their forms tense and angry.

"We'll still be able to hear every word," Jared pointed out smugly.

She held her wand in her hand and shook it lightly. "Silencing Charms," she deadpanned before turning to follow after her fathers, casting a _Silencio_ in the process.

"I can't hear anything," Quil frowned, eyeing the trio stood not twenty feet from them.

"Silencing Charm," Paul shrugged amused, pulling their attention and as one their eyes darted down to the duffle bag in his hand.

"What happened? What's with the bag?" Sam questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly. Paul's form stiffened, something they all noticed. "She said you were in trouble."

"I wasn't in trouble," his voice grumbled quietly. "The asshole thought it'd be fun to use me as target practice, throwing plates and glasses at me."

"And you didn't phase?" He questioned, his surprise evident.

"No, I didn't feel the need to; I just let him get on with it and left when I could. Hermione found me, she healed me and we packed up my stuff, she threatened the asshole with her family name before bringing us here when we got her dad's message."

"She threatened him?" Embry asked, his awe not hidden in his voice.

Paul nodded, a smug, proud smirk pulling at his mouth. "Mentioned she was the second wealthiest family in Europe and that she holds aristocratic titles, and she implied physical harm if he laid a finger on her."

"Quite a girl you got there," Embry replied with a whistle.

" _We_ ," Jacob injected quickly, glaring at his best friend.

When the trio returned, they looked far more relaxed and Hermione stood by Paul's side, everyone seeing that Jacob shifted closer to her. Remus and Sirius walked past him, the latter clapping him on the shoulder and giving him a nod. That was all he needed to know; they approved and they accepted him into their family and home. Something inside him flared up, maybe relief? Gratefulness? He couldn't be sure.

"Right, let's get to work," Hermione clapped her hands. "Given the size of your land we won't be able to cover the entire grounds, so we'll have to place the wards at checkpoints. If you show us the areas in which a vampire is most likely to enter through, we'll set the markers in place. If we can narrow it down to fewer than twenty checkpoints, it'd be really helpful. Putting up wards such as these is difficult and requires a lot of magical energy; we'll have to take regular breaks to help regenerate the magical flow in our bodies, particularly me as my magic still hasn't yet settled. We'll try and get it done today, if not, we'll finish it tomorrow."

"Are you putting in those blood things?" Seth asked curiously.

"Blood wards, and no, that would keep _everyone_ out, we're only looking to keep out vampires. It's difficult to erect wards to keep out magical creatures as their genetic material is usually different from ours. As shape-shifters, your DNA is still human but with a little added change, as are witches and wizards. It would be easy for me to erect wards to keep out shape-shifters and magical folk because you're still human. Vampires aren't, their genetic make-up is on a different scale. I'll have to tamper with and rework the wards a bit but it can be done."

"What'll happen if a vampire trespasses on our land?" Sam asked, watching them carefully.

"We'll put up a defence, likely fire for you, it won't be full-proof as vampires have their speed and are capable of dodging the flames, but it's still better than nothing and they won't be expecting it, either. It'll take them off guard. Hermione, Remus and I, we have a way of communicating long distance and without being caught," Sirius said. Hermione pulled her necklace free of her clothing and Sirius and Remus raised their hands, showcasing their rings. "These are bound together; through this, we can sense each other's emotions, as long as we touch them. If Hermione is panicked or worried, we'll feel it and know something's wrong. Whether it be we have to leave without her or she is feeling too overcome with her surroundings, and we can also send small coded messages to one another."

"The point is, we will connect the rings and necklace to the wards and if they're tripped, the defences will activate and a signal will be sent to each of us. When we receive that signal, we will either contact you or come and get you, depending on the time of day," Remus spoke.

"Won't it alert anyone else? What if you're in school?" Seth asked, looking to Hermione specifically.

"My necklace will heat up enough that it'll burn my skin but not actually hurt me. If the wards are tripped, it'll feel like an ice-burn, but when my fathers are contacting me, it's a hot burn. As such, I won't get the signals confused," she answered before a thoughtful look crossed her face.

"What is it, Snowflake?" Sirius questioned with a raised eyebrow, having seen that expression many times over the years.

"I was just thinking...There may be an easier way to contact them without having to send a Patronus, a way that isn't noticeable to muggles, a way to cut out the middle man, so to speak."

"And that is?"

"Do you remember my fifth year? The D.A in particular?" She questioned and their eyes lit up with understanding.

"That's brilliant, but _how_ will you get it to work, they don't have wands?" Remus asked curiously.

"I may be able to tweak the charm slightly, get it to work off their thoughts or even magical aura, they should have one being shape-shifters, they possess a form of magic only it's different to ours."

"Does someone want to explain what you're talking about?" Jacob asked confused, his packmates mimicking his expression.

"Sorry," Hermione apologised. "I'm not used to having to explain my life to people, they usually already know," she grumbled. "My fifth year, when we started the resistance study group, we needed a way to communicate with each other; when the next meeting would be, the date and time, if we could attend, things like that, but we needed a way of communicating that no one would ever suspect and wouldn't be looking for. I discovered the Protean Charm which I placed on a handful of galleons. It allowed us to communicate through a serious of short messages and they were untraceable. The only problem was, the message would appear on every galleon, no matter who held it. I don't want to get your hopes up but if I can rework the charm, I can give you all a coin and we can communicate through that easily enough."

"It'll work?" Sam asked.

"As I said, I don't want to get your hopes up, but in theory, I can't see why not. We'll get these wards sorted and I'll start my research as soon as I can."

"Don't be exhausting yourself, Hermione," Remus muttered quietly. "You know what happened last time," he said and she nodded slowly.

"What'd you mean? What happened?" Paul asked quickly with Jacob looking equally as worried as they waited for answers.

"It's nothing, it doesn't matter. Right now, we need to focus on other things and make a start on the wards."

~000~000~000~

Hermione, Remus and Sirius slumped down onto the couch after another training session, sporting several injuries as they had earlier that morning, but they were far less serious.

"It was even better seeing it the second time," Collin grinned.

Hermione chuckled at him. "That was friendly fire, Collin, we weren't actually fighting for our lives, that's a whole different ball game."

"You seem rather good," Jasper commented.

"She is, one of the best duellists we've ever seen," Remus commented tiredly.

"Well, I had a good teacher," Hermione replied.

"Awe, thanks, Snowflake," Sirius grinned smugly.

"I meant Harry," she deadpanned. His arrogant look fell from his face and he scowled. Remus laughed and their observers sniggered and chuckled in amusement.

"Well, it's getting late, you better get the pups home," Remus commented, tipping his head to Collin and Brady before standing from the couch. "We'll finish the wards tomorrow and we'll start the wards on the Swan residence as soon as we can."

The pack had all been informed of the Seattle situation as well as the Cullen's problem with Victoria, and now knew they were likely to receive another visit from the redhead. It was better to be prepared and it was safer if everyone was in the know, no matter how much of a fight one or two of the Cullens had put up.

As the groups said their goodbyes and exited the tent, Sirius and Remus headed to bed and Jacob and Edward stayed behind in the living room.

"I take it you're staying again," Hermione stated knowingly and she didn't bother to wait for a reply as she stood from the couch and headed to her bedroom.

Edward's eyes narrowed when he saw Paul clutching the handles of a duffle bag. "What's with the bag?" He asked emotionlessly.

Paul eyed him warily before answering, "My stuff, I live here now."

Edward was _not_ pleased with his answer and he couldn't stop his retort no matter how hard he tried. "What? Can't bear to leave her alone," he snarked.

"Yes," he replied instantly, agreeing with him.

Edward blinked slowly but in that moment, he caught the tail end of Paul's thoughts, memories from that day. What his father had done to him, how Hermione had found and healed him, how she'd told him to pack up his belongings, how she'd threatened his father. If he were honest, he actually felt a little guilty for his last comment but he didn't apologise, rather, he followed behind Jacob and Paul as they made their way to Hermione's bedroom.

When they stepped through the door, Hermione was perched on her bed and drinking the last potion from the bedside table. She looked much better, her injuries almost being healed. She climbed off the bed before heading into her bathroom, returning not long later wearing a pair of red satin sleep shorts and the matching spaghetti strap top. Some of her smaller scars were on display and as their eyes scanned them, they each felt their anger and protectiveness build within them but they were able to keep it contained and keep their mouths shut, not commenting.

Paul traded places with her in the bathroom and when he returned after almost ten minutes, he smelled clean, his hair was damp and he wore only grey pyjama bottoms, forgoing a t-shirt.

Hermione handed Jacob a small pile of clothing and gestured to her bathroom with a wave of her hand when he took them from her.

"You can put your bag in there," she said to Paul, gesturing to the sliding mirror doors. "I'll unpack for you in the morning, with magic it'll be done quickly.

"I don't think both our things will fit in one closet," he said dubiously.

"Take a look," she shrugged her shoulders as she distractedly turned down the blanket on the bed.

Curiously, he collected his duffle bag from the ground and wandered over to the sliding mirrored doors, opening the middle one and stepping inside.

"Holy fucking shit!" He called in surprise, slowly stepping backwards with wider than usual eyes.

"What is it?" Jacob asked, returning from the bathroom in his pyjama bottoms and t-shirt.

"Her closet, it's bigger than their living room. Seriously! It's got _two_ fucking floors _and_ a staircase," he said, his eyes locked on the opened mirror door before him.

Jacob and Edward both looked to her in surprise and she merely shrugged her shoulders before climbing into bed. Giving themselves a mental shake, Jacob climbed into bed behind her and Paul in front, quickly getting comfortable and finding themselves in the same positions as the night before. Edward watched them closely as he settled down on the couch, the books piled on the couch cushion beside him. Hermione extinguished the candlelight and it was the beginning of another peaceful night.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Monday 13th November 2006**

Hermione had returned to school after her excuse of suffering from a severe case of food poisoning, and of course, Carlisle had written her a doctor's note as proof, bless the man. She sat in her biology lesson with Edward by her side as she currently wrote down notes, her hand flying across the page, trying to get down every word that was said by Banners, especially since she had to catch up after being absent for so long.

She heard Edward chuckling lowly and without taking her attention from her page, she reached up with her free hand and slapped him on the back of the head.

He chuckled at her. "That didn't hurt," he whispered, knowing she would hear him. Although her hearing was nowhere near as good as his or the wolves, it would still pick up on things regular humans couldn't, allowing them to speak privately without anyone knowing.

"No, but it made me feel better," she whispered in reply and he chuckled at her. "The least you can do is feign injury, you're human, remember?" He nodded minutely, conceding her point. "And anyway, I could always brew a Strengthening Potion and then we'll see if it hurts."

His mouth tugged into a smirk and though he could think of several retorts, he left her be, seeing as she was busy with trying to catch up on anything she'd missed. He'd offered to give her his own notes seeing as he didn't need them but she'd refused his help, wanting to do her own work and achieve her good grades on her own merit. He'd felt strangely proud of her, it wasn't often someone would rather do their own work than take the easier option and use the notes/work that had already been done.

Hermione felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and she could feel eyes on her, and she twisted in her seat to look over her shoulder, seeing that Bella Swan was staring at her. Correction, she was _glaring_.

"Your ex-girlfriend's pissing me off," Hermione muttered after turning back to her notebook.

Giving that Edward was sat so close to her, his leg brushing hers beneath the bench, she felt when he shifted in his seat to peer over his shoulder, and seeing that Bella was, indeed, glaring at Hermione, but when she caught him staring, a shy smile appeared on her face and she looked down at the table. He sighed before turning to face forward, his arms coming up to rest against the bench and clasping his hands together.

"Just ignore her," he muttered, not wishing to draw attention to them when Banners was giving a lecture.

"It's too bad she's human, if we were at Hogwarts I would've jinxed her by now."

"Jinx, they don't tend to harm, only humiliate," he spoke.

Hermione's hand haltered above the page and her head snapped to him. "What was that?"

"A jinx, they don't tend to harm, only humiliate," he repeated, tilting his head to the side slightly and giving her a puzzled expression, wondering why she looked so surprised by his words. A wide smile graced her face and his smile in response was natural.

"You've been paying attention," she said, sounding proud and a little awed.

"Of course I have, I've been around for over a century, there aren't many topics left for me to study. Not only is it fascinating learning about something that was thought to be impossible, but you're the one teaching me."

Her surprised gaze held his for a moment before she quickly leaned over, pressed a kiss to his cheek and then turned back to her notes as if nothing had happened. He blinked in surprise but a goofy-like smile soon took over his face, remaining fixed for the rest of the lesson. When he heard the sound of teeth grinding together, he chuckled, knowing that it originated from Bella without having to look.

"Before I forget, I can put the Anti-vampire wards around Swan's house at the weekend."

"Why the long wait?" He questioned, not that he was in a rush to have it done so quickly.

"My magic's been bothering me for a couple of days and I'm low on magical energy, erecting the wards around the Quileute land was incredibly difficult and draining and it all but drained my magic, my fathers', too. Their magical stores have already been restored but since my magic's still unsettled from my Animagus training, it takes longer to build back up after such feats of magic," she shrugged and he frowned, giving her a look of concern. "But once the wards are in place, no one, not even a member of your family will be able to get into the house."

"We'll have to test it."

"It'll work and I don't particularly fancy you getting injured."

"You're worried for my safety?" He spoke surprised.

"You're my soul bond," she replied simply and his smile grew wider.

~000~000~000~

Hermione slumped down at the lunch table, her satchel dropping to the floor and her head lowering to rest against the table with a 'thud'. Edward took the seat beside her whilst Jasper and Alice sat opposite them, chuckling at Hermione, who gave a wince before sitting up, her hands reaching to her neck as she tried to massage the feeling back into it.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"My magic's beginning to build up in my neck and shoulders, if I don't get it flowing back around my body I could lose control of my magic and accidentally level everything in this room," she muttered in explanation, her mouth tugging at the corners as they stared at her for being capable of such a thing. " _And_ my back's hurting from this morning," she added.

Jasper snorted. "I'd say; you hit that tree pretty hard."

"Technically, the tree hit me," she grumbled. "Sirius will be getting his comeuppance, I assure you. Why on earth he'd bring a bloody tree to life is beyond me, especially after the Whomping Willow incident. I admit, it was a genius bit of magic but still a downright pain in the arse to have to contend with, I didn't even know he knew the spellwork, magic such as that is incredibly difficult. So, whilst I'm quite impressed, I'm still planning vengeance."

"I feel the need to warn him," he said amused.

"You don't have to, he already knows it's coming; he's on his guard. I'll just wait until he gets tired of waiting for me to enact my revenge and then I'll strike."

They shook their heads at her. "What are you going to do?" Edward asked her curiously.

"Don't know yet, though he's terrified of baby chicks, I don't know why, maybe I'll transfigure some and fill his bathroom with them. Given his appearance and demeanour, he's got quite the girly scream on him," she said amused and they snorted at her.

"That's a strange thing to be afraid of," Alice commented.

"I don't know if you've realised but we're a strange bunch," she shrugged.

"Believe me, we've noticed," Jasper chuckled.

"Says the vampire that drinks animal blood _and_ goes to a high school filled with humans," she fired back.

"Point, Hermione," Edward chimed and they snorted at him.

To Edward, it was obvious she was growing annoyed with her inability to get her magic flowing around her body and so he reached out, batted her hands away and his ice-cold hands replaced hers in massaging her neck and shoulders, being mindful that she was human and that he couldn't use too much force as he didn't wish to hurt her. A sigh fell from her lips before she dropped her head forward, pressing it against the surface of the table and they chuckled at her.

"Your skin feels hot," he commented with a slight frown but being secretly pleased she didn't seem to be bothered by his ice-cold hands being pressed against her soft, warm skin for as long a time as it was. There was such a thing as ice burns and there was only so long the human body could handle the temperature of such coldness.

"Magic build-up," she muttered.

"You're not going to fall asleep, are you?" Alice asked.

"Might do," she shrugged. "I'm exhausted, my magic's still depleted due to erecting the wards on the Quileute's land."

"It doesn't help when you're being pawed at when you're sleeping," Edward mumbled.

Hermione laughed at him. "Don't be jealous, it's not an attractive trait."

"You think I'm attractive?" He questioned in surprise, his hands stilling in their movement.

"You're a vampire," she shrugged. "It's what you're known for, of course, you're bloody handsome, don't even pretend you don't know it."

"Point, Hermione," Alice chuckled, and Edward gave himself a mental shake before he resumed his massaging of Hermione's neck and shoulders.

"And anyway, at least they don't sit there watching me sleep because it's creepy as hell," she muttered with Alice and Jasper bursting into laughter, the sound ringing in her eyes and making her dizzy for a moment.

"Point, Hermione," Jasper laughed and Edward grumbled beneath his breath, something Hermione hadn't been able to hear but judging by the way Jasper and Alice's laughter grew louder, it was likely an insult that had been directed towards them.

"Is it working?" He asked her.

"Yes," she sighed, "I'm starting to get a tingling in my arms, not much longer and we won't be at risk of me setting someone on fire by accident."

"You've done that?" Jasper asked surprised.

"I set Edward's coat on fire, though technically I did that on purpose," she shrugged. He grumbled whilst Jasper and Alice laughed once more at the reminder. "Someone's coming this way and judging by the death glare I can feel trying to burn a hole through my skull, I'd say it's Swan," Hermione muttered, and the three vampires looked to see was right.

"Alice, Jasper," Bella greeted emotionlessly, as she came to a stop beside the table.

"Hey," they both chorused impassively.

Bella then turned her eyes to Edward and he looked at her expectantly with a slightly raised eyebrow whilst his hands continued to work on Hermione's neck and shoulders and she released a sigh, not bothering to lift her head from the table or greet Bella, they didn't like each other so it was best to avoid conflict.

"Edward, what're you doing?" She asked him.

"Hermione's neck and shoulders are hurting her, likely due to the way she slept."

Hermione didn't have to look to know he was smirking and she lifted her foot and stomped down on his beneath the table.

"That didn't hurt," he said amused.

"But it made me feel better, you could at least _act_ human," she muttered, her head still pressed to the table and her voice muffled slightly when she lifted her arms and pressed her face against them as her forehead started to ache, and at her response, Alice and Jasper chuckled.

"Can I talk to you?" Bella asked.

"Now?" He questioned and Bella nodded. "Fine, Jasper, takeover, would you?"

Edward didn't wait for a response, knowing the southern vampire would do so and his hands left Hermione's shoulders and his chair scraped across the floor as he stood, stepped away from the table and crossing over to the windows with Bella following after him. Jasper took Edward's seat before his slightly smaller hands settled against her shoulders.

"What does it feel like?" Jasper asked her curiously. "The magic build up?"

"Shhh, I'm listening in to their conversation, my hearing's not as good as yours and requires focus," she chided. Alice's tinkling laughter left her at Hermione's words and Jasper chuckled before they all fell silent, turning their ears towards Edward and Bella.

"What do you want, Bella?" Edward asked, keeping his tone neutral and calm.

"What's going on with you and Black?"

"Why is that any of your business?"

"You're my boyfriend," she hissed.

"No, you broke up with me, remember? We voted against turning you and you've been in a mood since. I can show you the texts if you'd like. _You_ ignored me for months and now that you see I've made friends with the new girl you're jealous."

"You seem to be more than friends."

"And if we are?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Does she know about you? Does she know what you are? Does she understand like I do?"

"Yes," he answered and she spluttered in surprise, her eyes widening. "She's known since her first day here, she's known of our existence since she was a _child_ , she's encountered my kind before and she knows more about us than I do myself."

Jasper snorted. "He's not wrong," he mused, only to be shushed by both Hermione _and_ Alice. He supposed it could've been worse; if Rosalie had been present he'd have been smacked by now.

"Are you dating her?" Her voice turned cold and her eyes narrowed.

"That's complicated,"

"Why?"

"Because it is,"

"She's scared of you, isn't she?" She said smugly.

"No, I pissed her off a while back and she set me on fire," Edward said fondly with the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile and Bella spluttered. "Are we done here?"

"Fine, she can have you, I'll find someone else that wants my attention," she snapped before spinning on her heel and making to storm off in a mood.

"It won't be Jacob," he said, pulling her attention as she turned to face him.

"Since when do you call him Jacob?"

He shrugged his shoulders and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Since Hermione's good friends with the pack, the _entire_ pack. She gets mad when I insult her friends, vice versa with the pack when they insult me of my family."

"We'll see, Jacob's my friend, he's in _love_ with me."

"If you say so," he shrugged. "And, Bella, leave Hermione alone, she's not someone to be messed with," Edward warned.

"If she so much as looks at me the wrong way, Charlie will hear of it."

"He won't be able to do anything."

"He's the Chief of Police."

"Yes, but Hermione's father's a powerful man, he's _very_ well connected."

She sent him a glare before turning and storming back to her table, and Jasper's hand left her shoulders and he stood from the chair, only for Edward to retake his seat and replace Jasper's hands on her shoulders.

"She hates me," Hermione commented.

"No, she doesn't," Edward argued.

"She hates me," she repeated.

"Okay, maybe she does," he chuckled.

"I swear, Edward, if she starts anything I won't need to use magic."

"So I've seen," he spoke dryly, referring to her training sessions. She sighed. "Any better?"

"Getting there, it's down to my stomach now, not much longer and we'll all be safer."

"Good to know, I don't like the idea of being set on fire, I value my life."

"You're already dead," she countered.

"Point, Hermione," Jasper chuckled.

~000~000~000~

Hermione had a bad feeling and she didn't know why but she'd had it for a while now. Everything inside of her seemed to be screaming that she needed to get to La Push, and never one to ignore her instincts, Hermione planned on doing just that. When the final period of the day rolled around, Hermione had a free period and decided to leave school early and after writing a note to Alice, Jasper and Edward and leaving it on the window shield of the Volvo, she made her way into the woods and apparated to the collection of shops in La Push, before heading into the convenience store to ask for directions to the school.

After a twenty minute walk and taking two wrong turns in which she'd almost gotten lost had it not been for passersby pointing her in the right direction, she found herself standing in the car park of the Reservation's high school, her eyes searching her surroundings. There was nothing remarkable about it; it looked like any other school only it was smaller and she could see where some of the roofing had been replaced as the colouring was different. The number of trees surrounding the school was greater than Fork's High, but other than that, it was an average, run of the mill school.

Students were beginning to leave the school, and the car park filled with teenagers, milling around, talking in groups and laughing and messing around whilst waiting for others to make an appearance. Hermione knew she wouldn't find any of the pack in the sea of students even with their larger frames and shorter hairstyles and she defaulted to Plan B, her eyes darting about the car park in search of Jacob's car. She found it quickly enough and crossed over to it, slipping through the crowd of students and being well aware that she was drawing the attention of everyone she walked past. She stuck out like a saw thumb.

Where everyone else was russet and copper skin, dark hair and dark eyes and wearing layers of clothing to fend against the cold weather, she was ivory skin, long mahogany ringlets that fell down to her waist, chocolate brown eyes and she wore blue skinny jeans, black heeled ankle boots, a black spaghetti strap top and a pink knee-length woollen cardigan, regardless of the cold weather.

Eyes followed her movements and whispers trailed behind her and when she reached Jacob's car, she hopped up onto the bonnet and perched herself there, looking down at her cardigan and playing with a loose strand of wool whilst she waited for the pack to come out, knowing the majority of them would head to Jacob's car and the others Jared's car, which she hadn't actually seen yet.

She'd only been there a few minutes when she saw a shadow on the floor beside the car.

"Hey, what's your name, Beautiful?"

Hermione lifted her head and beside her stood a teenage boy, likely to be around her age. He had russet skin, dark eyes, a small nose and black shoulder-length hair that was tied back at the nape of his neck; he stood around five-foot-ten and was dressed in a dark thick woollen jumper and a pair of dark jeans. Hermione couldn't help notice he wasn't as handsome as her Paul and Jacob.

Wait! When did she start considering them as _hers_? Technically they _were_ hers, but still, when had that happened?

"Hermione," she replied politely, hoping he'd leave her be if she answered him. She was there for a reason, she didn't know why, but she was needed there.

"Pretty name, I'm Kyle."

His eyes travelled across her face and down to her feet, moving back up and locking on the small amount of cleavage that she was showing, before they moved back to her eyes, seeing the bored expression on her face.

"Who're you looking for? Maybe I can help you."

"I'm fine, thanks, I'm just waiting for my friends and they'll be here any moment now."

"YOU THINK YOU CAN COME ONTO MY GIRL AND GET AWAY WITH IT!"

A crunching sound followed it, one she was sure only those with sensitive hearing would be able to hear.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

Hermione's head snapped up and searched the car park before they landed on the crowd of gathered students. At the sight that met her, her breathing hitched, her stomach dropped and her heart seemed to stop beating for a moment.

There was a teenage boy similar in appearance to the one next to her, his backpack was thrown to the floor and he clutched his hand against his chest painfully. Paul stood opposite him with blood slowly trickling down his nose, over his mouth, down his chin and onto his t-shirt. He looked _furious_ , his hands clenched tightly into fists and his entire body shaking, with Jared and Jacob stood on either side of him, whispering hissed words to him as they tried to calm him down and the crowd of students that surrounded them continued with their chants. Embry, Quil and Seth stood a little ways behind them, looks of concern held on their faces, being worried that Paul was on the very verge of phasing into a giant wolf and exposing their secret, and judging by the shaking, he _was_.

This is why she needed to be there.

Hermione was quick to jump off the car and despite the heels of her boots, she did rather well to not slip or trip as she ran towards the crowd, ignoring the teenage boy that followed behind her, trying to keep up with her.

"Move out of the way!" She called, forcefully pushing her way through the crowd despite her smaller size. They stared at her, the beautiful girl they'd never before seen, barging through the crowd and trying to get to the centre of the fight.

She could see the boy, the one that'd hit Paul and suffered an injured hand for it; she knew from experience that hitting one of them could hurt like hell if you weren't careful. He swung his uninjured arm back, his hand clenched into a fist and making as if to take another shot at the otherwise distracted Paul. Just before she pushed her way through to the centre, she caught sight of a teenage girl stood off to the side, a smirk on her face and her arms crossed smugly over her chest. Hermione felt her eyes narrowing suspiciously but otherwise chose to ignore her for the time being.

Before the boy had the chance to launch his attack and bring his uninjured fist forward, Hermione stumbled before catching her footing when she reached the centre of the crowd and she reached out, catching the raised fist in her hand before twisting under his arm and then flipping him over her shoulder. He seemed to have the wind knocked out of him as he released a choppy, breathless groan and he stared up at her, his face pained and his eyes surprised. The crowd fell silent, all staring at her in various forms of surprise and curiosity.

At the sound of silence settling around them, both Jared and Jacob dared to look away from Paul, their eyes landing on her and they both sighed in relief before taking a step back from a furiously shaking Paul, knowing that if anyone would be able to calm him, it would be her.

Seeing the movement, Hermione carelessly dropped the boy's arm to the ground, she jumped over his sprawled out form and darted forward, Paul only just noticing her in time to catch her as she leapt into his arms. Her arms settled around his neck and his folded around her back, holding her against him tightly, so tightly, she could barely breathe but she knew he needed the contact and didn't complain or bring notice to it. Even with the added boost of her heeled boots, she had to stand on her tiptoes to rest her chin against his shoulder and he hunched over slightly due to his larger frame and height, as he buried his face against her neck and hair.

"Take deep breaths, Paul, I'm here now, just take deep breaths," she whispered into his ear, her hand running through the hair at the nape of his neck and scratching against his skin soothingly.

She felt it as he ran the tip of his nose over her throat, breathing in her scent deeply and releasing a slow breath. His shaking began to subside but it wasn't enough, she knew he'd already been on the verge of phasing before she'd reached him, he needed something else to calm him, to distract him, to keep his attention.

She pulled back from him slightly, her eyes locking on his face and seeing that his eyes were shut tightly and his jaw set hard as he visibly took deep breaths. Her arms moved from his neck and she cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs gently brushing over his lip and beneath his nose to wipe away the blood. At the gesture, his eyes opened and they locked gazes before she gave him a soft smile and closed the distance between them, her mouth pressing against his.

His breath hitched before he released a sigh and he tugged her closer, flush against his body so there was no space between them. He took control, dominating the kiss as she felt the tension drain from him and his body no longer shook, the danger of phasing passing. He moved his mouth against hers, his tongue darting out to trace the seam of her lips and when she parted her mouth in acceptance, her tongue moved to greet his, a moan catching in the back of her throat and a growl rumbled in his chest in response.

When she heard the chuckles of the pack, she was reminded of the previous happenings and their surroundings, realising they were giving the students quite the public display of affection. She ended the kiss with a nip to his bottom lip before separating from him, his eyes opening and gazing at her with adoration. She gave a smile in response and noticing his broken nose, she reached up and kissed the tip of his nose softly.

" _Immobulus_ ," she whispered before hugging him tightly. "Better?"

"Better," he nodded against her, burying his face in her neck. "What did you do?"

"I stopped the healing process in its tracks, not only would it be suspicious for your nose to heal so quickly, especially after it was broken, I'm not letting that arsehole get away with harming you."

"You're the reason he's currently on his ass and staring at us like an idiot?" He asked her amused and smirking against her neck.

She giggled. "Yeah, he's lucky that's all I did. The girl off to the side, is she the reason he attacked you?"

"Yeah," he muttered with a sigh.

She released her hold on him and stepped back, but he kept his arm around her waist, tugging her into his side as the rest of the pack stepped closer, surrounding him in support.

"Just for the record, Humphries," Paul spoke coldly but surprisingly calm given the situation and his packmates shared a raised eyebrow. "I've never laid a finger on her, she's just pissed that I rejected her when she came onto me this morning. It seems you need to be paying more attention to what your girlfriend's doing rather than getting your ass kicked by my girlfriend."

Hermione's insides fluttered at his words, and all the girls in the crowd gasped loudly before the whispers picked up amongst them and they stared at her.

"Why is everyone so surprised by that statement?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Paul's not a _relationship_ type of person," Jared said delicately, wincing slightly as if his words would upset her.

Hermione snorted. "He's a man-whore," she stated bluntly. The pack stared dumbly before sniggering.

"Yeah, he is," he agreed with an amused smile, eyeing her curiously at the fact she didn't seem to be so bothered by the news.

When she felt Paul's grip on her waist tighten, she tipped her head to look up at him, seeing his guilt-ridden expression.

"Why are you looking at me like you're about to tell me you've killed my puppy?" She asked him, eyeing him warily and making the pack chuckle.

"You know I'm not that person anymore, right?" He asked her, his eyes all but begging her to believe him.

"Not really," she shrugged, "To be fair, I didn't know you before I moved here, I only know the person you are from the day I met you, so, Paul Lahote, the man-whore, doesn't really exist for me," she replied and the relief was evident upon his face as he released a slow breath.

"What on earth is happening here? Break it up! Break it up!"

A short, stumpy man pushed his way through the crowd, revealing his greying-balding hair, small but almost round nose and blotchy cheeks and he wore a cheap-looking grey suit. He took one look at the teen on the floor, up to Paul's nose, the crowd surrounding them and he, of course, jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Mr. Lahote, what is the meaning of this!" He exclaimed as he moved to help the teen from the ground. "You were warned, one more fight and you are expelled!"

Hermione bristled beside Paul. "Actually," she spoke up, her soft voice and unexpected accent tinkling, quieting the crowd and drawing all attention to her. "Paul's not the one at fault, that one over there is," she pointed to the teen girl, narrowing her eyes in an effort to fight off the glare and Hermione saw her smug look drop from her face and her arms drop to her sides. Oh, she wished she could give her a slap, too. "She told this boy that Paul propositioned her, and this boy," she gestured to the injured teen, "Thought it'd be a fun idea to break Paul's nose and Paul didn't retaliate when he had every right to do so."

"Then _why_ was Mr. Humphries on the ground?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, obviously not recognising her as a student of the school.

"Ah, that was my doing. You see, he was going to hit Paul again when he was distracted and I stepped in and incapacitated him, likely saved his life, too. You see, I quite like Paul the way he is, it wouldn't do him good to be getting arrested and it would be a right pain for me to have to visit him once a week in prison, too," she spoke with a frown and a shake of her head. "Of course, Humphries, was it? Well, he would've found himself in hospital should Paul have retaliated after being sucker-punched. And, of course, Paul didn't actually proposition her, Humphries' girlfriend that is, she was just sour that he rejected her advances," she said with a thoughtful look on her face. "In fact, Paul is _not_ to blame at all; he is the victim in this."

The crowd stared at her silently and the pack looked to one another in surprise. Well, when she put it like that, she was right.

"I think I know Mr. Lahote better than you," he said dismissively.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. Well, she loved being presented with a challenge and this man was giving her one.

"You know Paul better than me? Really? Well then, what's his favourite colour? Does he prefer tea or coffee? White bread or brown bread? What's his favourite animal? Is he a morning person? Is he a cuddler? Does he hog the blanket at night?" She asked him, tilting her head to the side questioningly and he eyed her warily, like she was a caged animal. "You don't know, do you? I'll tell you, his favourite colour is green, the kind of green you get when the sun is shining on grass. He prefers coffee though he doesn't mind a cup of tea every now and then since I've practically converted him to my 'British ways' as he calls it. The bread, it was a trick question; he prefers whole meal, much to my fathers' disgust, I don't think they'll ever forgive him for that transgression. His favourite animal is a wolf. He's definitely _not_ a morning person, I have to drag him out of bed, literally drag him, or he'd never get to school on time. He's a nightmare to sleep beside as he practically suffocates you in his sleep with his cuddles and he doesn't hog the blanket, in fact, he's the opposite, kicking them off the first chance he gets which means I'm always cold," she spoke, a fond tone to her voice and she could feel Paul's heated gaze staring down at her, his fingers trailing up and down her side above her clothing and she leaned further into him.

"You may have known Paul _longer_ than me, but you do not know him _better_ than me. You don't know what makes him angry, what makes him laugh and you sure as hell don't know what he's like out of school hours, not unless you stalk him which is just creepy and illegal," she mused and the pack sniggered. "I assure you, Mr..."

"Principal Burke," Jacob offered amused.

 _Oh, he was the principal? How fun_ , she thought, she loved putting prejudiced people in their place.

"Principal Burke," Hermione nodded to Jacob with a smile of thanks. "I assure you, Principal Burke, if you expel Paul for this, for an incident that wasn't his fault, I will file for grievance and sue you for everything you own," she smiled sweetly, _too_ sweetly and it was frightening. "My father has some very expensive lawyers, an hour with them would likely cost three months of your wage. I assure you, Paul _is_ the victim in this and if the proper course of action is not taken, I will go ahead with my promise and Mr. Humphries will be brought up on assault charges, as you can see, he broke Paul's nose and he broke his own hand when hitting Paul. He may have a few bruises on his back but I take responsibility for those ones, I was only defending Paul when Mr. Humphries made a second attempt at assault during his distracted state. You have a whole crowd of witnesses; ask any of them what happened."

The principal paled, a nauseous, anxious look settling over his face.

"Who...Who...Who," he stuttered, unable to find the words to respond or articulate what he wished to say.

"What are you? An owl?" she asked innocently. That comment was the straw that broke the camel's back and the pack burst into laughter.

"But...But...But..."

"So you understand? Lovely," she didn't wait or allow him time to answer. "Let's go, Paul, we need to get your nose seen to by a doctor," she spoke, taking his hand in hers and making to leave, only she paused, her eyes landing on the teenage girl responsible for it all.

Hermione was feeling particularly bitchy and vengeful at that moment given that her soul bond had been injured due to her actions and she didn't bother holding back her look of disapproval or disappointment. She realised she'd been spending far too much time with Rosalie when she looked at the girl and saw nothing but average features, average height and average clothing items, she blended. Nothing about her stood out, she'd easily get lost in the crowd.

"As for you," she said, and she barely stopped a smile from tugging at her mouth when she took a step back subconsciously. "If Principal Burke hadn't have arrived when he did, you'd have been the next one to receive a slap. I don't take kindly to the people I care for being threatened or harmed and because of your actions, pettiness, jealousy, hurt feelings, whatever you wish to call it, Paul was injured and your boyfriend would've likely found himself in hospital had I not arrived when I did to prevent Paul from retaliating. You've got some serious issues and apparently no class or loyalty either, given that you have a boyfriend and sought the affections of another. If I were him, I'd dump you on your behind and find someone more deserving of my time. If I hear you're causing trouble, not just with Paul but any other male, whether they're single or not or you're still in a relationship or not, I'll be sure to return and set you straight. I'd wish you good luck but chances are, you'll be single by the end of the night, and if not, you're both idiots and deserve each other."

With that, she tugged Paul towards the crowd of students who parted for them like the Red Sea and the pack followed behind them, their laughter loud and unrelenting.

"That was _brilliant_!" Embry laughed.

"Merlin, I wanted to hex the idiot, is he always like that?" She asked as they made their way towards Jacob's car.

"Burke? Yeah, he's been suspicious of us since we shifted; he likely thinks we're on drugs or something. It doesn't help that we've suddenly grown taller and filled out, not to mention, all of the missing school and our anger issues," Quil shrugged.

Hermione frowned. "If he bothers you again, you'll tell me, right? If he so much as looks at you the wrong way, you'll let me know?"

"Why?" Jared asked her warily after having witnessed her takedown of two teens and the Principal.

"Yes or no?" She scowled.

"Yes," he answered.

"Good, I won't be having him treating you that way, it's bullying and..." Hermione trailed off and she halted in her steps when she spotted a parked police car not far up ahead with two police officers and Paul's father approaching them.

 _Great, what the hell's wrong now?_ She sighed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 12

**Monday 13th November 2006**

Her hand reached up and to her necklace, gripping the wolf pendant in her grasp and sending the need for help to her fathers, but being sure to mention it had nothing to do with Death Eaters to keep them from panicking.

When her necklace heated up she released a sigh, knowing help was on the way. Sirius and Remus could track her positioning through the necklace, even if they hadn't been to a place before they could apparate based on the coordinates of Hermione's necklace, locking onto them and programming them into their wands.

"There he is, that's him, I want him arrested," Paul's father called, a cruel smirk on his face as he pointed at him.

He was held back by one of the officers and the other approached, stopping before them.

"Paul Lahote?" The officers asked, wearing his black policemen's uniform and his long black hair tied back, similar to the second one that stood further back with Paul's father.

"Yeah," he answered warily, his eyes darting towards his father and Hermione gripped his hand tightly.

"I'm Officer Cuttle, accusations have been brought against you," he spoke.

"May I inquire as to what those accusations are?" Hermione asked politely.

The officer's eyes darted to hers, briefly flickering with surprise before he cleared his throat. "Assault and battery, harassment, damages to personal property and violent and threatening behaviour," he listed.

Despite knowing she really shouldn't, she couldn't stop it and she laughed. "I'm sorry," she said, her laughter calming. "That's just the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," she shook her head and sighed. "I suspect Mr. Lahote is the accuser, seeing as he's stood over there with a rather unpleasant look on his face. Please tell me, because I'm curious, when did these so-called offences occur?"

The officer narrowed his eyes before answering, "Thursday 9th at one o'clock in the afternoon. Mr. Lahote caused damages to the property and assaulted the accuser before threatening further violence and leaving the premises. He has since returned every night to harass the accuser."

Hermione hummed thoughtfully. "Interesting, but there's a problem with that."

"And that is?"

"It's a load of rubbish," she snorted. "I'd believe that child abuser when pigs fly."

"That's a serious accusation, Miss..."

"Black," she supplied before continuing, "And it's not an accusation when I know it to be true, but we'll get to that in a moment, first to quell these ridiculous accusations. I was present at the time, a witness and I'll gladly tell you what happened, so listen carefully. I was due to meet Paul at First Beach along with the boys," she gestured behind her and the boys nodded in agreement. "He was an hour late than the agreed meeting time and I grew worried, Paul is always if not punctual, and I travelled to his house and when I arrived, I heard noises from inside, a man shouting obscenities and items being smashed. Given my worry, I entered the property to find Mr. Lahote pacing back and forth in the kitchen, muttering to himself and occasionally shouting insults and obscenities to seemingly no one and he threw a glass at the wall. Broken plates and glass littered most of the kitchen surfaces. When Mr. Lahote noticed my presence, he used vulgar language and he advanced in an aggressive manner, I felt threatened and so I incapacitated him, my fathers thought it prudent to teach me self defence."

"I noticed blood on the ground and I followed it which led to Paul, he had a head injury, several cuts on his chest with embedded glass and he was covered in blood. His father never had a mark on him. I think what happened is rather obvious. I helped Paul pack up his belongings and before we could leave, Mr. Lahote thought that we'd care to hear his opinion, I will admit, I did threaten him with my fathers' lawyers before we left. Paul is now living with my fathers and me, I can vouch for him. He hasn't seen or spoken to his father since that Thursday afternoon; he's been with myself and my fathers since Thursday night and the only time I haven't been with him was today when he attended school, I only arrived here half an hour ago myself..." Her hearing picked up on the 'crack' in the distance and she tipped her head, stretching to look over the officer's shoulder. "Ah, perfect timing, here comes my father now."

They all turned as one, seeing that Sirius walking towards them and upon noticing their current situation, his eyes narrowed and turned cold and he sped up in his movements to reach them.

Despite being smaller than the pack members, Sirius was far more intimidating; he carried his past with him, just like they all did and the darkness they'd witnessed clung to them, making them seem darker themselves and that scared people. Of course, the tattoos didn't help either.

"You are Mr. Black, I presume," the officer spoke.

"Yes, I am," Sirius replied, stepping into place beside Hermione and relaxing his body language after seeing the wary expression the officer wore.

"This is Officer Cuttle," Hermione informed him. "I was just explaining to him how Mr. Lahote's accusations of assault and battery, damage of private property, violent and threatening behaviour and harassment are rubbish and unfounded. Apparently, Paul's been harassing him since Thursday night."

"Is that so?" Sirius questioned innocently. "Well, that's all well and good, except Paul has been with me, my daughter and my partner since Thursday afternoon."

"Are you certain he never left the premises?" The officer asked, looking dubious.

"Yes," Hermione answered.

"He may have snuck out."

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "No, that'd be impossible. We share a bed, he practically suffocates me in his sleep, trust me, if he had snuck out, I would know because I'd be able to breathe," she said, hearing the pack sniggering at her words. "Papa, how did Paul look when I brought him home?"

They shared a quick glance before he nodded subtly, an understanding passing between them. "I admit, Paul gave my partner and me quite the fright and we decided it best to bring in our personal physician to tend to his wounds. The sight of blood was rather alarming, as were the glass embedded cuts on his chest and the rather nasty head wound," he spoke.

It had obviously been a lie as Hermione had healed Paul before they'd learned of what had happened, but thanks to the sharing of memories, he might as well have been in the room. Merlin knew that if he had been present, Mr. Lahote wouldn't have been able to go to the police as he would've been buried six feet under for attempting to lay arms on Hermione.

"I do actually have photographic evidence, if you would care to see it," Hermione offered. "I thought something like this might happen and so I was cautious." The officer looked between her and Sirius thoughtfully before slowly nodding. "Jacob, would you please unlock your car? I left my camera in there," she asked.

He eyed her curiously but nodded, following after her when she stepped away from the group and headed towards his car, hearing Sirius's voice in the background as he spoke to the officer regarding Paul's ongoing abuse as a child.

"Did you really take photographic evidence?" He asked her.

"No,"

"Then how do you plan to prove that you told the truth?" He questioned. She looked to him, her mouth tugging into a smirk. "You know what, I don't want to know," he spoke and she chuckled at him.

When they reached his car, Hermione climbed into the passenger's seat before rummaging around in her beaded bag, pulling out a muggle camera and then pressing the tip of her wand against her temple, focusing attentively on the spell casting as she removed images of Paul from that night whilst throwing a few fake ones in there, too, to show it wasn't a onetime thing. With Paul's accelerated healing she couldn't prove abuse with actual physical evidence and she'd be damned if he didn't get justice for what he'd suffered. As such, she had no qualms about falsifying evidence, not when they couldn't prove she'd done so, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference and she knew Paul's abuse to be a true occurrence. Finishing off her spellwork, she climbed from the car and tucked her wand out of sight before crossing over to the group and handing the camera to the officer. He took it from her almost hesitantly before turning it on and looking through the photo gallery, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead.

"As you can see, we are telling the truth regarding Paul's abuse. Unfortunately, we don't have evidence of him being abused as a young child but we do have evidence of him being abused now," Sirius spoke.

"And I suggest you breathalyse Mr. Lahote, I've heard he likes to overindulge on the beer," Hermione injected, "He's likely tipsy now."

The office raised his eyes from the camera and to her, turning to Sirius' determined face and then to Paul's impassive expression as he stared back blankly.

"We'll investigate further into the claims of abuse, and for now, you won't be brought up on charges due to photographic evidence and having an alibi that has been corroborated by two witnesses," he said to Paul before turning to Sirius. "Mr. Black, are you happy with Mr. Lahote staying at your residence?"

"Paul is eighteen, he can come and go as he pleases, but yes, I am happy with him staying with my family. He's a good kid," Sirius replied, reaching up over Hermione's head and clapping Paul on the shoulder. "I didn't have the best of childhood's either, Paul is now in a safe environment and he's no longer in danger or at risk."

The officer nodded and turned to leave but stopped, looking to Paul. "May I ask what happened to your nose?" He asked him.

"A girl was mad that I rejected her advances and she told her boyfriend that I propositioned her. He broke my nose," he shrugged.

"It's being dealt with," Hermione spoke. "Principal Burke has assured me, I wouldn't want to have to get lawyers involved," she shook her head regretfully and Sirius snorted at her.

"Dramas of being a teenager," Officer Cuttle chuckled before turning and heading back to the other officer and Paul's father. A few moments past before he exploded.

"WHAT! I WANT HIM BROUGHT UP ON CHARGES! THE LITTLE BASTARD DESERVES IT!"

A scuffle broke out which resulted with Paul's father assaulting a police officer and being driven away in the back of a police car, handcuffed.

Hermione and Sirius shared a laugh whilst the pack stared at the retreating vehicle in silent surprise, no one more so than Paul.

"Is it just me or was that really satisfying?" Hermione asked.

"No, it was satisfying," Sirius agreed with a nod.

"Thank you for coming, Papa."

"Anything for you, Snowflake," he smiled at her when she gave him a quick side hug and reached up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He then turned to Paul. "I meant it, you can stay with us indefinitely, you're safe with us, well, _most_ of the time," he chuckled. "The only danger you'll be in is angering Hermione...Ow!" He winced, rubbing his arm where she'd hit him and the pack sniggered. "We've got your back," Sirius said, sending her a brief scowl when she smiled innocently and then he reached up to clap Paul's shoulder. When he pulled his hand back, he slipped them both into his pockets and looked to Hermione. "I'll contact Thaddeus, as a precaution," he said before saying his goodbyes to the rest of the pack and taking his leave, heading for the woods and apparating in the cover of the trees.

"Right then, let's get home. Jacob, I'll meet you at the diner in an hour."

"Why?" He raised an eyebrow, looking amused over the fact it hadn't been a request, more of an order, a statement.

"You're sleeping in my bed and I have no idea what your favourite colour is, that's why," she answered and he shrugged in response. "How long does it take to heal broken bones?"

"A nose? Less than an hour," Jared spoke.

"Hmmm," she hummed thoughtfully. "I can do it in less than a few minutes. I'll see you later, let's go."

They called their goodbyes and waved as she pulled Paul behind her, heading towards the woods and Hermione picked up her satchel that she left by Jacob's car. As soon as she reached the trees, she ducked behind them and with her wand in hand, she turned on her heel.

~000~000~000~

Paul hadn't spoken since the police leaving and the only noise he'd made was a groan after they'd landed. Hermione silently pulled him through the woods and to the tent, walking through the wards and stepping through the entrance. Remus was the first thing she saw, as he sat on the couch reading a book about dark curses and the counter curses, and upon their entry, he looked up at them, a soft, understanding look crossing his face but he didn't comment.

"Hey, Alpha," Hermione greeted as she walked past him, kissing his cheek in the process. "Where's Papa?"

"Exploring the south-east side of the forest, we're trading off when he gets back."

She nodded. "Okay, I'm meeting Jacob in forty-five minutes, I should be back for dinner, do you want me to pick something up on the way back?"

"Might as well," he replied. "It'll save you the time cooking."

"Pizza it is!" She called over her shoulder.

She pulled Paul into her bedroom and closed the door behind her, casting a Silencing Charm around her bedroom and then dropping her satchel by the door before pulling Paul over to her bed and gently pushing him until he sat down on the edge of the mattress. She rummaged through the contents of her beaded bag and pulled out a Blood Replenishing Potion.

"Head up," Hermione instructed softly.

"I've accelerated healing." It was the first words he'd spoken since leaving the school.

"Which Jared said would take an hour to heal your nose, I can do it in minutes. It could bloody well be a paper cut for all I care and I'd still heal you," she scowled at him. "I don't like seeing you injured, so, head up," she instructed.

He released a sigh before doing as she'd said and lifting his head up. Her hand moved to gently grasp his chin and with the other, she pointed her wand at his nose which was currently gushing blood, Hermione's spell having long since worn off and his healing had fought the magic, worsening the injury.

"This will hurt," she warned. " _Episkey_ ," she whispered and it was followed a loud crack.

" _Fuck_!" He cursed, bringing his hand up to his nose.

"I did tell you," she chuckled. " _Tergeo_ ," she spoke, cleaning away the blood from his face. "Pinch your nose for me, we just wait for your blood to clot which shouldn't take too long given your abilities."

"Why're you doing this?" He asked her, his voice sounding nasally and she giggled. His face softened at the sound as she wasn't much of a giggler, it was rare to hear it.

"I told you, when I can do something to help you I'll do it. I don't care if you can heal yourself, I don't like seeing you hurt and I want to take care of you," she said and he stared at her silently. "Has it stopped yet?"

He moved his hand away from his nose and tilted his head for Hermione to see.

"Yeah, it's stopped, now take two sips of this," she handed him the Blood Replenishing Potion and brought it to his mouth, grimacing at the awful smell and he gagged at the taste.

"Get used to it, I've a feeling I'm going to be healing you a lot."

"Why were you at school?"

"I had a free period, I had a feeling that something was going to happen and I knew I just needed to be there," she shrugged. "I apparated to the shops and asked for directions and I was able to find my way to the school where I waited by Jacob's car. Some guy hit on me," she admitted and his body stiffened as a growl rumbled in his chest. "And then I heard the commotion so I ran to you, put Humphries on the ground and you know the rest," she shrugged. "It's been an eventful afternoon," she sighed.

A deep frown settled on his face and he tilted his head to look up at her. "Why'd you do it?" He asked her quietly.

"Do what?" She titled her head, puzzled.

"Why'd you defend me? Why'd you go to so much trouble?"

She frowned when she noticed the truly baffled look on his face, he wasn't acting; he truly didn't understand why she'd done it, why someone would help him.

"Paul," she sighed, lifting her hands to rest against his shoulders and she stepped in-between his parted knees so she was closer to him. "You're my soul bond, you're my present and future, we are pack," she spoke softly. "You're _very_ important to me and I care for you. All I want is to see you happy, healthy and safe. And you can be damn sure that when you're under attack, verbally, physically or otherwise, I'll be there to support you, to help you, to defend you. I wasn't joking, the Black family lawyers _are_ brutal, they would make it seem as though Burke was planning to commit murder rather than just expelling you." He blinked slowly at that. "You're worth caring about; you're a good person that's been dealt a shitty hand, but no more, I won't allow you to suffer at the hands of anyone, including yourself."

Before she could blink, his arms snaked around her waist and she was tugged towards him, his forehead pressing against her stomach and she reached up, running her hands through his hair and scratching at his scalp in a calming gesture.

"I don't even remember telling you those things," he muttered.

"You mentioned them in passing; I remember everything you've told me."

"You do?"

She hummed. "You love being a wolf because it gives you freedom but you hate it as you have to work hard to control your anger. Your birthday is October 3rd, you love all food except those that are considered healthy; I doubt I'll ever see you eating a salad. Your favourite film is Fight Club and you love motor-cross racing. The only subject you enjoy at school is PE and that's because you're able to expel some of your energy, helping to calm you. You can't sit still for more than five minutes," she shook her head chuckling, not noticing the way he was staring at her, both adoringly and heatedly. "You prefer to shower before bed so you can sleep in the following morning. You don't hesitate to come to the defence of your pack and you're loyal beyond belief. You're smarter than you think, you're hot-headed but you take into account my feelings and wishes, like how you haven't had an argument with any of the Cullens since Friday, Jacob had one last night. You prefer to ha..."

She gave a squeak when she suddenly found herself flat on her back on her bed with Paul hovering above her and a smouldering look in his eyes before his mouth came down to hers.

She made a sound of surprise and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, hers meeting his. He held himself over her on his elbows and Hermione brought her hands up into his hair, tugging and running her hands through it, making it stand out at odd angles. She was feeling light-headed, not only from the consuming kiss but from a lack of oxygen and she regretfully pulled back from him, but that didn't deter him and he merely moved his mouth across her cheek, down her throat and across her jaw.

"What was that for?" She asked, her breathing heavier than usual with her chest rising and falling erratically.

His answer was to nibble at her jaw before dragging his teeth across her collar bone and he lightly bit down on her shoulder. Hermione gave a moan and tilted her head to give him better access, tugging at his hair and he gave a growl of approval at the sounds he was able to pull from her.

"Never mind," she moaned, pulling his mouth back to hers and the passion between them continued to climb.

Her hands moved from his hair and down his back, she fiddled with the edge of his t-shirt before slipping her hands beneath it, her hands trailing his hot skin and across the expanse of his shoulders, feeling his muscles twitching under her gentle exploration and he shivered above her. Her hands slipped to the edge of his t-shirt and she gripped the fabric before slowly dragging it up his body, only Paul decided she wasn't moving fast enough and he pulled away from her long enough to pull his t-shirt over his head and drop it to the floor, before returning to his task of making Hermione light-headed with his drugging kisses.

Her hands and fingers continued to map out the expanse of his back and shoulders before slipping around to his chest and stomach, lightly dragging her nails over his abdomen and he bucked against her in surprise. She gave a moan and pulled him down, flush against her so he was crushing her into the mattress, though she didn't seem to mind about having his heavyweight on her.

His hands started to wander, trailing over her sides, down her jean-clad legs and back up, before slipping beneath her clothing and ghosting over her stomach and up her sides, brushing the edge of her bra and she shivered, goosebumps erupting over her skin and pulling a soft moan from her. In a move that took him off guard, she dragged her hands away from him and gripped his hands in hers before rolling them until he lay on his back with Hermione straddling his lap. She pinned his hands to the mattress on either side of his head and she lowered until her chest pressed flat against his, her head above his and her eyes stared down at him.

His eyes had darkened to an almost black, his gaze so heated she was sure he'd be able to melt steel, his chest heaved and his mouth parted, pants leaving him. With her gaze locked with his, she pushed herself up and released her hold on his hands, his eyes watching her every move and refusing to look away. She shrugged her cardigan off her shoulders and down her arms before dropping it to the floor and then she crossed her arms and reached for the edge of her top, slowly pulling it up her stomach.

Paul's chest rose and fell quicker, his eyes widened and his mouth went dry. His eyes bore into hers before he moved them downwards; she was slowly, _teasingly_ revealing her taut stomach, the ivory flesh that held several scars that had now become visible.

He glowered at them. There were several, some looked older than others, some looked to be burns and others cuts, but the most alarming one travelled diagonally across her torso, starting just shy of her right shoulder. It travelled down the valley of her breasts, under her left breast and down to her hip, almost as if it were cutting her in half. His hand reached up and his fingers ghosted over the scar tissue, drawing a shiver from her.

"Does it bother you? My scars?"

His eyes snapped to her. Her face had fallen, her eyes shimmered with fear and worry and she nibbled at her lip nervously. He didn't like it; his Hermione never doubted herself, she never showed fear. He pushed himself up and wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her flush against his chest as his free hand continued to trace her scar in-between their bodies.

"No, your scars don't bother me," his eyes bore into hers, not allowing her to escape his gaze as he wanted her to see he spoke the truth. "You're still the most beautiful being that I've ever seen."

"You're biased," she snorted, but he saw a small smile pulling at her mouth.

"Of course I am, you're my imprint, but that doesn't mean it's not true, just ask Jacob or Cullen."

"They're biased, too," her smile was slowly getting bigger.

"Of course they are, but that doesn't mean they're not right," he grinned and she laughed at him. "Your scars don't define you but they do make you stronger. The cause behind them helped to shape you into the person you are today, they tell a story of war, sacrifice and survival."

His eyes fell downcast, looking towards the scar only he choked; Hermione'd removed her top entirely and he had a perfect view of the ivory flesh of her breasts held snugly in her light pink satin bra. He just stared silently, unable to find words to describe the sight and Hermione giggled.

"When'd you take it off?" He asked bemused, managing to tear his eyes away for a second to look at her before they lowered back to her breasts, staring in appreciation.

"When you were busy staring at my scars," she shrugged.

"Satin?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugged again. "I don't own much else besides silk and lace. Sirius hired a personal shopper for me, she was told my age and size, that's it. She bought me nothing but lingerie," she sighed in annoyance. "Although, I will give her this, despite how impractical they seem given my training schedule and the fact that I'm literally waiting for my enemies to come and kill me, they're oddly comfortable."

"I like it," he commented with a nod of his head, his hand now moving to trace her collar bone.

"I thought you would," she smirked at him. He looked up at her, being glad to see that she appeared to be back to her normal self.

He tilted his head up and Hermione met him halfway, tilting her head down and pressing her mouth to his, the passion once more building between them as their tongues met, her hands gripped at his hair and his trailed up and down her sides, gripping her every so often before snaking them around her waist and to her back, smoothing his hands over her soft skin and pulling her into him so there was no space between them.

A bulge was beginning to make itself known in Paul's jeans, he didn't bother trying to hide it and Hermione didn't bother ignoring it, either. Paul was her soul bond, he was her present and her future, she cared for him, in fact, she firmly believed she was already beginning to fall for him, if not, had already, and she had been since before she'd learned about the bond and his imprinting on her.

She wasn't a virgin either, despite what her classmates thought of her, she didn't hold onto her innocence until marriage or love, she was in times of war and war changed people, it changed the way they acted, it changed who they were, it changed the way they saw the world, and so, Hermione had secretly dated her sixth year and given her virginity to her boyfriend, not that anyone knew. Well, Sirius did but she didn't dare tell Remus knowing the protective Alpha wouldn't like it.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Paul shift, likely trying to hide his situation from her but by accident, he'd bucked into her and she moaned, biting down on his lip. Paul released a growl, his hands gripped at her waist painfully tight but it didn't bother her as she slowly rocked her hips against him and she pulled her mouth from his, trailing kisses down his neck, nipping at his jaw and she bit down on his shoulder. A growl rumbled in his chest and he gripped her tighter when she tugged at his earlobe and dragged her teeth across the shell of his ear, her breath tickling him and he groaned, pulling her into him by her hips as she continued to rock against him.

Hermione pulled back from him, her breathing coming out in pants and she looked down at Paul. His eyes were trained on hers, watching her enraptured, in awe-like adoration, his breathing being just as erratic as hers. The way his eyes bore into hers, the way he looked at her like she was the only person in the world, the way his hands gripped her tightly and guided her in her movements against him as he bucked into her. The sensations the friction was giving her, her stomach knotting, her heart pounding, she flung her head back, her curls cascading to her hips.

Paul, on the other hand, was lost in the feeling of the pleasure she was giving him, just the sight of her breathing heavily, her face lightly flushed pink, her lips swollen, her hair ruffled and her hands gripping his shoulders, her nails biting into him, was enough to ignite the fire in him, enough that he knew if she kept moving the way she was, he would find relief, the only problem being, he didn't want it to be over so quickly; he wanted to draw it out, to watch her a little while longer. But he knew he didn't have the strength to stop her, not when they were both enjoying themselves so much. The only thing he wanted to do was give her what she was trying to find, release.

Hermione pushed at his shoulders, making him lie on his back and she followed him, pressing her chest against his, but he suddenly flipped them so she was on her back, and he took her hands in his, laced his fingers through hers and then pinned them in place on either side of her head. He was cradled in her thighs and she brought her legs up, wrapping them around his waist, preventing him from pulling away from her. He bucked into her as he dipped his head, kissing her neck before moving lower and running his tongue down the valley of her breasts, tracing her scar. She gave a moan and he smirked against her skin as he peppered kisses over the tops of her breasts and without warning, he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking through the fabric of her bra and Hermione keened a whine, bucking her hips against him. He stilled in his movements at the sound and he felt his stomach knot tightly. It was one of the best sounds he'd ever heard and one he had to hear again.

In his momentary daze, Hermione flipped them once more, crashing her mouth against his and rocking into him faster, she brought their combined hands up to her breasts and let go of him, looping her arms around his neck and pulling at his hair with her hands. He took the hint and set to work massaging and kneading, pulling and squeezing and she moaned into his mouth. He moved his hands, gliding across her soft skin and around to her back, reaching for the bra clasp and just as he was about to undo the clasp, Hermione's wand buzzed loudly.

Hermione groaned before pulling back from him, her rocking hips stopping and she rested her forehead against his, her eyes closed tightly as she tried to contain all of the feelings inside of her, as she tried to calm her breathing.

"What's that?" He asked her, his voice husky and she sighed in annoyance at being interrupted.

"I have to meet Jacob in five minutes, I have to go."

He groaned, too. "Can't I convince you to stay and finish what we started?"

"You probably could," she admitted. "But I have to spend equal amounts of time with you all so I'm not abandoning any of you, so that I'm not playing favourites. At the moment, I know Jacob the least, I spend every day at school with Edward and he comes to training. I spent a lot of my time with you and the pack after school before you discovered who I was, but Jacob kept to himself until he imprinted and afterwards he just followed me around. Now he's sharing my bed and coming to training, I spend equal amounts of time with you all but I still know him the least and I don't like that feeling, it makes me feel like I'm neglecting him for you and Edward. He's the first to argue with the Cullens and I have this feeling it's because he's jealous."

"Oh, he is, he hates them, too, long before you arrived. It's not your fault, he's trying though, of that I'm sure."

"I'll have to be just as affectionate as I am with you, if not more so until he understands what it means to be my soul bond," she sighed. "Right, I _really_ have to go," she kissed him chastely before climbing off him, pulling on her top and cardigan, picking up her wand and casting a few Cleaning and Refreshment Charms, making herself look more presentable.

"And what am I supposed to do about this?" He pointed looked down at his jeans and gestured to the bulge.

"Cold shower?" She suggested lightly and he laughed at her, shaking his head.

"We're going to finish where we left off when you get back," he promised.

"Nope, dinner, then training, then sleep," she said and he groaned, flopping back onto the mattress and she chuckled. "Do me a favour and text the pack? Find out what pizza order they want and then text their answers to Jacob."

"Will do," he promised. She leaned over and kissed him once more before turning around and heading out of the room.

"Do your homework," she said.

"I don't want to."

She could hear the pout in his voice; she didn't have to look to know it was there.

"Do your homework or you're sleeping on the couch."

He huffed. "Fine, you do realise that my grades have improved since meeting you?"

"Of course, you should've seen Harry and Ron's grades before I started forcing them to do their homework, atrocious isn't in it," she said as she left the room, saying goodbye to Remus and then leaving the tent.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Monday 13th November 2006**

Hermione landed with a 'crack' in the woods and she headed out of the trees, seeing that Jacob was already stood waiting for her by the diner and when he noticed her approaching, he pushed away from the wall and his folded arms dropped down by his sides and he smiled in greeting.

"Hey, are you hungry?" She asked with a smile, being well aware of the wolves' appetite.

"A little," he shrugged.

She snorted. "I thought you might be, come on then, we'll order you something to tie you over until dinner, did Paul text you?"

"Yeah, and I have everyone's order," he confirmed.

"We'll grab it before heading back," she said, before they headed into the diner, took seats at the counter and Jacob ordered a foot-long chicken, bacon _and_ sausage sandwich to go before they left and headed to the beach.

Jacob had already eaten his sandwich well before they arrived and after finding a spot, they took seats on the sand, watching as the waves climbed the cliff face and the birds flew over the sea, diving to catch fish.

"So, what are we doing here?" He asked after getting himself comfortable, leaning back on his hands with his legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles.

She shuffled and turned to face him, crossing her legs, clasping her hands together and resting her elbows on her thighs as she leaned forward slightly.

"As I said before, I know you the least out of my soul bonds and I feel as though I'm neglecting you for Paul and Edward, whether you think I am or not, I want to apologise for that. It wasn't my intention to make you feel as though I don't care for you, or that I don't want you, I've spent more time with Paul and Edward than I have with you. I'll be sure to not make that mistake again."

"I'll admit, it sucks that you don't feel as comfortable around me as you do Cullen."

"I don't," she said softly. "I'm comfortable around you _both_."

"Not like you are with Paul," he shrugged his shoulders.

Hermione released a sigh and pushed her hair back from her face. "Paul's been giving me attention since the day I met him, even before he discovered I was his imprint. He liked me _before_ that. You only started paying attention to me _because_ you imprinted on me. I've spent more time with Paul than I have you and I'm more affectionate with Paul for that reason, I'm not very affectionate with Edward because I know he worries for my safety and he's confused about how he could possibly fit into my life and future. I'm not as affectionate with you because I know you the least. I know more about Paul than I do myself, and that's in the short time that I've known him. My goal is to learn more about you so I can know and understand _who_ Jacob Black is."

"You don't love Cullen," he stated.

"No, I don't."

"You don't love me," he stated again.

"No, I don't," she replied softly. "But I _will_ , it's guaranteed that I'll love you in the future but it will happen naturally, it could take years, it could take weeks, I don't know, but I _will_ love you. But just because I don't love you now, doesn't mean that you're not important to me, because you are, you're so _very_ important to me. You'll never have to doubt your importance in my life or your worth to me."

"Do you love Paul?"

She frowned thoughtfully, nibbling at the corner of her lip as she mulled over his question. "I don't love him yet but I am falling in love with him," she admitted. "But please don't be discouraged or offended by that, I need you all in my life and I'll love you all equally."

"Have you slept with him?" His question caught her off guard and she was visibly surprised by it, as he stared at her, silently willing her to answer the question.

It was quite the personal question to ask and had it been anyone else she wouldn't have hesitated to tell them where to go or send a hex their way, but this was Jacob, her soul bond. She'd been expecting jealousy, it was only natural especially as wolves and vampires both mated for life and now they were expected to share their mate with others, and it was something that was unheard of in the Muggle World. She only hoped they learned to tolerate one another, she'd never be stupid enough to hope for friendship given their hatred for each other, but tolerance was a must to make things easier.

"No, I haven't yet slept with him," she answered and paused for a moment, deciding whether or not if she should make her next confession, but if she were honest, she really wanted to see his reaction. "But that doesn't mean I'm a virgin."

His facial expression and body language went from relaxed and open to tense and closed off, his eyes clouding over with anger and jealousy before he seemed to collect himself, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it.

"I'm not Paul," he spoke, his eyes falling downcast and looking at the sound, embarrassment covering his face.

"Sorry?" She asked confused.

"I'm not Paul, I haven't slept with as many girls as him."

"How many?" She asked curiously.

He found the courage to raise his eyes from the ground, his gaze locking with hers. "None,"

"You're a virgin?" She asked bluntly. He nodded, looking everywhere but at her and she squinted her eyes, being sure she'd seen his cheeks darkening but it was difficult to tell unless she was sitting closer to him. "Okay," she shrugged her shoulders slightly, her mouth twitching at his surprised expression. What? Did he think she'd tease him for such a thing? "It's nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed over, if I hadn't have gone through a war, I'd likely still be a virgin, too. The only reason I'm not is that war changes people, it influences their decisions and I thought I was going to die. I wanted to experience that part of life before I did and I've only slept with one guy. If it'll make you feel better, I suspect Edward's a virgin, too; Alice has been dropping hints for a while about his lack of relationships before he'd met Bella. I think it's because he's worried he'd hurt a human and he's never found another vampire he wanted to have sex with," she said without a hint of shame or embarrassment.

"I can't be like him," he muttered.

"And I don't want you to be, I want you to be you and no one else. What you can't give me, Paul can and vice versa. I have _three_ soul bonds; you will each give me something the other can't. In the winter when there's a snowstorm and I'm freezing my arse off, I'm not going to want Edward anywhere near my bed, and in the summer during a heatwave, your body temperature will likely irritate me, which is where Edward comes in. Edward can keep up with me in regards to literature, books and knowledge whereas Paul can keep up with me with wit and humour, and you? I'm not sure about yet but we'll soon find out. Edward, he can't give me children but you and Paul can."

His eyes snapped to her after having fallen downcast. "You want children with me?" He asked surprised.

"Of course I do, you're my future," her brow furrowed. "And did you really think you'd be a virgin for the rest of your life?" She raised an eyebrow; he blinked at her dumbly, his mouth parting slightly. "Not to sound like a tart, but sometime in the future I'll be jumping your bones and you'll get sick of me." She couldn't help but laugh at his look of disbelief, his eyebrows shooting high up on his forehead. "You _are_ my life and you are all equal in my eyes, my mind, my soul _and_ my heart, okay?" She smiled softly and he slowly nodded. "Great, Hermione Jean Black, nice to meet you," she held her hand out towards him.

His mouth tugged into a smile before he sat up and twisted to face her. "Jacob Ephraim Black, _enchante mademoiselle_ ," he replied, and rather than shaking her hand, he held it gently, brought it up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

She laughed at him joyfully. "Very smooth, I must say, you've beaten both Paul and Edward in greeting, nicely done by slipping a bit of French in there to show you're able to speak a foreign language."

He grinned in reply. "Actually, I know about ten common phrases in French and that's about it."

She laughed louder and he mimicked her. "So, you're not bilingual?"

"Not really, like I said, I know about ten common phrases in French, I know some Quileute language, but my Spanish is slightly better, even though I'm failing at the moment," he shrugged. "Do you know any languages?"

She nodded. "I speak eight languages fluently."

He spluttered in surprise, staring at her. "What? _Eight_?"

"English is my first language, I learned Italian and German through visiting the countries when my parents had conferences for work, I learned Latin in school as most spells are in Latin, as are most ancient runes and spell books and you have to do a lot of translating to English. I learned Bulgarian from my ex-boyfriend, Viktor Krum. I speak Mandarin as I had a free period at school and I was bored and wanted a challenge, and given that Mandarin is the most universally spoken language I thought it might come in handy one day, and I had to learn French and Spanish to fulfil the adoption contract. It's a long-held tradition of the House of Black that the children be able to speak Spanish and French, Sirius wouldn't have been able to adopt me unless I was fluent in both," she explained, seeing the way he silently stared at her. "And don't worry, I'll have you at the top of your Spanish class before the summer," she promised. "Paul told me his grades have improved since meeting me but I tend to have that effect on people as I nag them so much to do their work," she grinned and he gave his head a shake, a snort leaving him at her pleased expression.

There was a sudden deafening rumble and a flash of lightning shot across the sky. They both lifted their eyes to the dark grey clouds above, just as the heavens opened and rain poured, hard and fast.

Hermione looked to Jacob, a laugh of disbelief falling from her lips as she tipped her head back, pushing her wet hair back from her cheeks and eyes and smiling as the rain ran down her face.

"I _love_ the rain," she told him, happily basking in the rainfall and oblivious to the adoration that flickered through his eyes as he watched her. "Not only does it remind me of England, you know, since it _never_ stops raining there? But there's something therapeutic about it; watching as the rain keeps nature alive, as the rain hits other water sources and seeing the ripples it creates. The sound of the rain bouncing off the ground or the roof, it's so calming and natural, you can't imitate it and you can't control it. It's something only nature can produce. And when it hits you, it's like it's washing away all of your troubles, all of your fears and worries and it leaves you feeling refreshed, as if you're a new you, a _better_ you." She sighed, her eyes fluttering open and blinking away the water droplets caught in her eyelashes before seeing the expression he wore on his face, regardless of the fact she probably looked like a drowned rat.

"You'll catch a cold," he said distractedly.

She smiled before pulling her wand from beneath her sleeve and muttering beneath her breath, he watched enraptured as a cloud of gold dust floated from the tip of her wand before raining down on them like a burst firework and from it, a blue-hued dome began to form over them until it touched the ground and it became invisible. His expression was one of amazement as he could still see and hear the rain, but it didn't fall over them, it fell around them.

She laughed lightly before lying down on the wet sand, uncaring that she was soaked through and a chill was beginning to set in her bones. She knew she could easily cast a Drying and Warming Charm but she didn't want to; the cold reminded her of England; it reminded her of snow and Christmas at the Burrow.

"You're cold," he stated after he saw her shudder.

"I'm okay, the cold's a welcome feeling," she replied softly, her eyes focused on the rain, watching as it bounced off the invisible dome and ran down the sides.

She heard him shifting and she turned her head to see that he'd laid on his back, an arm tucked behind his head and the other stretched out in invitation. He had a look in his eyes that Hermione translated to mean 'please don't reject me' and she snorted to herself; as if she would reject her soul bond. She shifted closer to him and tucked her head beneath his chin on his shoulder, an arm moving to hook over his waist and his rested over hers. They laid in comfortable silence, watching the rain continue to fall and with no sign of it letting up.

"What's your favourite flower?" He asked, his voice breaking through the silence between them.

"Sunflowers; they're bright and always manage to survive in harsh weathers. It takes a lot to prevent them from growing, and in the end, they always grow back. They're resilient."

"If you're stressed or frightened, what calms you?"

"If I'm stressed, a good strong cup of tea, a distraction or a book. If I'm frightened, such as waking up from a nightmare, a cuddle, reassurances and someone to stay with me until I fall asleep. Any kind of physical affection helps actually, holding my hand, giving me a cuddle, Sirius used to just play with my hair until I fell asleep and Remus would make these strange rumbling sounds, the wolf in him coming out upon seeing his cub so upset and wishing to comfort me."

"You like to have your hair played with?" He questioned.

"Yes," she sighed, letting her eyes close. "It's calming and makes me feel sleepy...Don't even think about it," she warned him.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Playing with my hair, if you do I'll fall asleep and you'll be stuck here, I've been told on several occasions that I've the strength of a grizzly bear when I'm sleeping," she replied and he chuckled at her, ignoring her warnings as he ran his hand through her wet curls, massaging at her scalp. She sighed softly and her eyes drifted closed as she snuggled further into him, making him smile.

"What do you want to do when you finish school?" She asked him, him noting the soft and sleepy tone to her voice.

"I'm not sure, I thought about travelling for a little while, getting away from here and seeing what the world has to offer but I don't think I could leave my father for that long. As it is, he's already lost Rachel and Rebecca, my older twin sisters. Rachel moved to Seattle for college and hasn't been back since. Rebecca married some guy I don't even remember the name of and moved to Hawaii, she hasn't been back since either and to be honest, I don't think they'll ever come back. I've a responsibility to my pack and Tribe so I won't be able to travel for long. I doubt I'll ever leave La Push but when I graduate, I'd like to have my own business, maybe become an engineer."

"Why?" She asked intrigued.

"I like building things. I like to take things apart and put them back together, to know how things work, what makes them tick. I built the engine for my bike from scratch and I enjoyed doing it."

"Sirius will love you," she stated.

"Why?"

"He's obsessed with muggle motorbikes and has been since he was a child. He had one once and somehow he managed to infuse magic into it which isn't an easy thing to do, believe me. When he'd finished, the motorbike could fly."

"Seriously?"

"No pun intended?" She said and she felt his body shake when he laughed at her, no doubt rolling his eyes. "And yes, he's been talking for a while about getting another one he can experiment with. If you talk to him I'm sure he'd let you in on the project, he might even ask you to build him a bike to use just so he can watch you do it."

"You think?"

"I _know_ , he's a man-child, as I've stated many, _many_ times before and as you've witnessed."

He chuckled at her. "What about you? What do you want to do after finishing school?"

"I doubt I'll ever graduate from a Wizarding School, which has always been one of my biggest goals in life, to prove to everyone that as a Muggleborn, I'm just as capable of completing my education and getting my qualifications, maybe even with better exam results. I've always pushed myself to be better, to be the best. I was tired of everyone looking down on me because of my blood status; they thought they were better than me, that I was little more than something on the bottom of their shoes. So I did everything I could to prove them wrong. I studied hard, I achieved the highest grades in my year group, and twice, for the entire school. I answered every question in class and I got house points so at the end of the year my house could win the House Cup."

"I soaked up knowledge and I practised spells that were more advanced than the talents of someone my age, spells that weren't due to be taught for years, just to show them that I could, that they weren't better than me and I had just as much magical potential as they did. They bullied me, tried to hex me when my back was turned, they called me names, a _Mudblood_... But what I find funny is that technically, my blood is _purer_ than theirs. I'm a first generation magic user, my magic's pure and strong, undiluted and unpolluted. There's nothing in my genes that's killing off the magic inside of me, unlike theirs; their magic has grown weaker over the years and sooner or later, entire bloodlines will die out as they won't able to produce magically gifted children. Muggleborns and Half-bloods are going to be the saving grace of the Wizarding World, they'll keep it alive, it'll grow and thrive which is something we need after the decline in our population over the last few decades."

"So where do you want to work? Here or there?"

"I don't know, how am I supposed to choose between this world and the other? I was born to this world but I belong in the other. I was bullied in this world for being different and I was hunted in the other for being born in this world. Going on the assumption that everything works out and no one's severely injured during the battle when the Death Eaters find us, I'd like to do something to help people, to make the world a better place. I don't think I could be an Auror; I've had enough of fighting for my life and chasing the bad guys. I don't think I could work for the Ministry, although I know it's being rebuilt by Kingsley and he's a good man and a brilliant leader, I can't forget the fact that it was corrupt for so long."

"I don't think I could go back to Wizarding School, I've learnt all I can from school and I've learned more than I ever possibly could from my fathers, my research, the war and my own experiences. I don't think they'd be able to intellectually challenge me the way they used to. I'd get bored, I wouldn't be able to focus; there would be no point of me going back to school; I can easily take my exams out of school and still get my qualifications. Besides, going back to school without Harry and Ron, or Ginny and Luna, it wouldn't be the same."

"I suppose I could become a Healer, I've studied as many magical textbooks as possible; I've got plenty of practical experience due to the war, our training sessions and Alpha's injuries after the full moon. I just don't have a license to heal professionally, nor have I took my healer examinations or completed my observations and residency. I like the thought of becoming a Professor and teaching young witches and wizards; they're the future and with the right guidance and support, they could make the world a truly wonderful place, where there is no prejudice, no war and no hatred for magical creatures and Muggleborns. Maybe I could set up my own charity fund; I've more than enough money to do so. I could make it so magical creatures such as werewolves, can live in peace. I could build villages for them to reside in, so they can own their own properties and live freely and without judgement. I could pay a private Healer to tend to their injuries or even someone to teach them how to heal each other and I could pay for their tuition to take their examinations. I could hire someone to teach the cubs about magic, so they can grow up like a normal Wizarding child, happy and free, so they have a future. Maybe I could do my masters and become a Potions Mistress, creating my own potions to better the world of healing, or maybe even become a Spell Creator and create spells to make the lives of others easier."

"I don't know much about your world or magic, but from what I've seen and the way your fathers speak of your power and intelligence, as though they're not only proud but amazed, I'd say any one of those options is open to you," Jacob commented quietly, sounding as though he didn't want to disturb her sleepy state.

"I don't know how I'm going to choose between them," she sighed. "Seriously, if you keep doing that, I'm going to nod off any minute now," she mumbled.

He chuckled at her, ignoring her words and continuing to run his hands through her wet hair, massaging at her scalp and she once again snuggled closer, her leg hooking over one of his, her cold hand shifting under his t-shirt to press against his overly hot skin and her stomach pressed up against his side.

"I've been thinking," she started.

"Hmmm?"

"Well, I feel awful that you're unable to tell your father about me and it's important for him to know that some time in the future, he'll have grandchildren that will be displaying magic by the age of five, and that's going to be hard to explain, not to mention, it'll probably freak him the hell out. If it's anything like my parents had to deal with where I was concerned, _I'll_ be freaked out and I'll know what's happening," she said and chuckled at her. "So, I've spoken to my fathers and they're in agreement, and although it's technically breaking the law, we think you should tell him about us."

When he didn't speak, rather she felt the tension in his body, she tilted her head to see his reaction, being surprised to find the guilt ridden expression he wore.

"Yeah, about that..." He laughed nervously and removed the arm behind his head to scratch at the back of his neck. "I may have already told him."

"Excuse me?" She questioned slowly.

"I may have already explained to him about what you are and why you moved here, and Council Leaders Ateara and Clearwater may have been there, too," he confessed and she cocked an eyebrow. "They were surprised to hear what I had to say, my father almost fainted. It took me half an hour to convince them I was telling the truth, and then a further _two_ hours to explain the rest as I had to keep repeating myself. They want to meet you and your fathers, for real this time, you don't have to hide who you are."

"Jacob Black, you are an awful secret keeper," she scowled at him.

"Yeah, I am," he admitted sheepishly.

She released a sigh, rolled her eyes and chuckled before snuggling back down against him and his warmth.

"Seriously, you're pants, I thought Sirius was bad but you've effectively surpassed him in that regard." He chuckled, wrapping his now free arm around her and using the other to continue playing with her hair. "How'd they take it?" She asked curiously.

"Like I said, it took me half an hour to convince them I was telling the truth about magic existing and then two hours to explain everything else. I left quite a bit out, mainly skimming through the war and telling them why you moved here. It was hard to keep up with their reactions, surprised, amazed, horrified, intrigued, but I know the feeling. I had to call Sam in to confirm what I'd told them was true and I wasn't just joking around. And since they know about Paul also imprinting on you, they knew something was different about you, so it didn't take as long as I thought it would've."

"How long have they known?"

"Not long, a few days after we found out and Paul imprinted on you."

"I'll speak to my fathers and see when they want to meet with them."

"Thank God," he sighed. "They've been bugging me _nonstop_ for an answer to when you'd meet with them. Seriously, my dad's texted me three times and called me twice, and that's just today."

She snorted. "Well, if you'd have told me sooner, we probably would've already spoken by now."

"No thanks, I've seen what happens when you're mad and I didn't have permission to tell them anyway. By the way, setting Cullen's coat on fire? Brilliant."

"Thanks," she grinned up at him and he burst into laughter.

"I've got my work cut out for me with you, haven't I?"

"Obviously, but where's the fun if I didn't keep you on your toes, you'll never have a boring life with me around."

"So I'm beginning to understand," he smiled down at her fondly.

There was a sudden ringing and it pulled them from their uninterrupted time. Jacob frowned and shifted slightly to dig into his pocket and pull out his phone. Looking at the caller ID, he sighed before looking to Hermione.

"What?" She asked with a frown, seeing the annoyed expression he wore on his face.

"It's Bella,"


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 6

**Monday 13th November 2006**

"Yay," she said in mock joy and he snorted at her, flipping open the phone to answer the call.

"Yes, Bella," he said, sounding grumpy over the fact his time with Hermione had been interrupted by his once best friend and the person he'd been smitten with.

But saying that, from the moment he'd met Hermione, he knew that the love he felt for Bella was nothing compared to what he felt for Hermione. Compared to Hermione, Bella had been a single flame whilst Hermione was a raging volcano. Bella had been a tiny, flickering light whilst Hermione was the entire sun, lighting up not only the world but his life, too.

Hermione busied herself by lying back down against him, fiddling with the edge of his t-shirt and listening to the sounds of the rain pitter-pattering against the dome and the sea, to block out their conversation and give Jacob as much privacy as she could.

"What? Now?... Sorry, Bella but I can't...Can't do then either...Or that...Don't be getting angry with me, you're the one that's refused to speak to me for the past few months. I tried talking to you, I texted, I called, I e-mailed, I visited, I even spoke to Charlie but you didn't want to know. It's not my fault that you've suddenly decided I'm worth your time again. I already have plans and I won't break them for you...Once I did, but not anymore," he snapped his phone shut and released a tired sighed.

"You okay?" She asked him softly.

"Yeah, just got a headache forming," he replied, rubbing his hand over his face.

Hermione pulled away from him, sat up, turned slightly and then crossed her legs. He looked puzzled by the sudden loss of her proximity until she gestured to her lap and his mouth tugged at the corners. He shuffled closer before settling his head in her lap and he sighed when her hands found their way to his hair, massaging his scalp and temples comfortingly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, knowing that she disliked the girl, but also knowing that Jacob was having trouble sorting through his thoughts.

"She's just so...Urgh!" He made a sound of frustration and threw his hands up in the air and she chuckled. "I don't know who the hell she thinks she is, demanding that I come and see her, that I just drop everything for her. She hasn't spoken to me in over three months and if she thinks she can suddenly call and expect that I'm going to come back and follow at her heels, she's nuts."

Hermione giggled, Jacob opened his eyes and looked at her amused, having never heard her _giggle_ before.

"Casually slipping in a canine reference, I like it," she grinned at him and he chuckled at her. "I had a feeling something like this was going to happen," she informed him and he raised an eyebrow in response. "She approached Edward in the cafeteria at lunch today, I couldn't help but listen in since I'm nosy." He snorted. "She's not happy Edward's taken a shine to me and she wasn't happy when Edward pointed out they'd broken up so he could spend time with whomever he wanted to. She mentioned you, something along the lines of if Edward didn't want her, then you would. Again, she wasn't happy that Edward pointed out she was wrong as she'd been treating you the same way as she had him. I thought she was going to explode when he mentioned that you and I were friends and that the pack likes me."

He laughed, giving his head a slight shake. "Hermione, they don't just like you, they _love_ you, like seriously, they _love_ you, as if you were one of them, which you are. The pups are smitten with you and everyone else sees you not only as a packmate, but a sister and friend, too. They're comfortable around you; they feel like they can be themselves. Sam wasn't pleased when he found out the pack likes you more than they do Emily."

She'd known that from Paul already, but she wasn't clear on the why.

"Why?" She asked, frowning slightly.

"Emily's a nice woman, she'll feed us and she understands that Sam has to leave at odd hours in the morning, though she still does complain from time to time, but she's _afraid_ of us and she doesn't really care for details. After Sam accidentally phased and hurt her, she's forgiven him, but she's afraid of what the rest of us might do if we were to ever lose control. She'll flinch or leave the room if anyone's annoyed or angry. She's afraid. You walked up to Jared the other day and clobbered him over the head without fear that it would upset him, potentially causing him to phase."

"He deserved it," she defended, "He said he felt he'd been cheated out of the experience of meeting a _real_ witch, you know, one with warts and green skin? The cheeky sod's lucky I didn't use my wand."

He laughed at her. "That's my point though, you're not afraid of them. You don't treat them any differently to how you did before you knew about us being shape-shifters. We're always learning something from you, you keep us fed and if anyone shows a hint of phasing, you stop it from happening, I still don't know how you managed to stop Quil from phasing just by insulting him."

"The shock I think," she nodded. "He's used to me being nice to him, when I insulted him he was so surprised by it he forgot he was angry."

He snorted. "The pack _love_ you, it's why they all want to help to protect you, regardless of the fact that Paul and I imprinted on you, they don't love you because of what we did, they love you 'cause you're kind to them, you call them out on their bullshit, you make them laugh, you treat them equally and you make them food when they're hungry."

She chuckled at him. "The pack's basically Sirius and Remus, only there's more of them and they're better behaved." He snorted at her. "Now, no more stalling, back to Bella."

He sighed. "I don't know what to do, she's my friend and before I met you, she was all I could think about, but ever since meeting you, I've started noticing things that I hadn't before. It's like I can see the world through a different lens and suddenly things I couldn't see before, I now can, and things I didn't understand before, I now do. Bella seems to be different from what she used to be," he frowned.

"Well I can't speak of the changes you've mentioned since I didn't know her then, but from what I've been seeing, I can tell you I don't like her. She pisses me off beyond belief and it takes every ounce of my restraint not to jinx her in the hallways for glaring at me or insulting me when she thinks I can't hear, but we both know that I can. She's always gossiping to her friends about me, about how I stole her boyfriend," she scoffed, "And I know they've been discussing which rumours they can spread around school to ruin my relationship with the Cullens. She constantly glares at me in the classes that we share, I know because I can _feel_ it, as sure as I can feel someone stabbing me. In PE, she tried to trip me during drills by rolling a water bottle across the floor and if I hadn't of seen it, I could've easily broken some bones, as well as my face." She heard the low rumble of a growl rip from his chest and she scratched his head lightly, calming him and a sigh fell from his lips.

"From what Edward's told me of her and how she refused to speak to him after the others voted against turning her, I honestly don't believe that she loved him the way she said she did. You don't treat someone you love that way, and if you aren't given an immortal life to live with them, then you live a human life, making the most out of the time you have. It's selfish the way she's been behaving and I don't agree with it. The only reason I haven't retaliated is that Edward's asked me to ignore her, though I doubt anyone else would mind if I were to show her who she's dealing with. And I know she's your friend, too, and for that reason, I haven't approached her."

"Just out of curiosity, what would you do if you were to approach her?"

"I'm not sure, it would depend on how angry she made me, I suppose. It's frowned upon to use magic against muggles, but we both know I'm not exactly a stickler for the rules," she said and he snorted. "If I weren't to use magic, then she'd probably end up with a broken nose or a nice black eye, I've been told my anger takes on a whole life of its own and I can't control it sometimes. I wouldn't do anything for no reason, only if she deserved it and she'd truly wound me up to the point where there was no going back. Kind of like when you phase due to anger, that's the only way to describe it that I think you'll understand."

He nodded, an almost purring noise leaving him as Hermione's hands had moved of their own accord and were scratching lightly behind his ears. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing and her eyes lifted, seeing the sky was starting to darken and the rain showed no sign of stopping.

"We'll have to go soon, the others will be waiting for us and no doubt they'll be complaining they're starving, even though they probably already ate before they arrived," she told him. He snorted, knowing it was true. "How's your headache?"

"All but gone," he replied and she smiled to herself, lowering her head to place a kiss to his forehead. His eyes flew open in surprise and he looked up at her, catching her gaze as she smiled down at him.

"And now?"

"Almost," he responded.

She leaned further forward and placed a kiss to the tip of his nose.

"Now?"

"Not quite,"

His eyes were hopeful and she chuckled at him before she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss, feeling as though a bolt of lightning had passed through her entire body, making her jump a little. She pulled back from him, sitting straight and seeing that he was staring up at her adoringly.

"And now?"

She could see the indecisiveness in his eyes, debating whether or not he should attempt to push his luck, and her mouth tugged into a smile.

"Nearly there," his voice was quiet and hesitant and she smiled at him softly.

Taking her hands away from his head, she gestured for him to sit up and he did so, slowly, turning to face her. She shuffled a little closer to him before rising onto her knees, his eyes watching as her hands came up to rest against his cheeks and she leaned forward, her eyes fluttering closed just before her lips pressed against his.

She was surprised when he sighed and his hands came up to her waist, tugging slightly so she fell into his lap and she gave a little squeak of surprise. He moved his lips against hers, a lot less hesitant than she thought he would've been. He kissed her softly and languidly, as if he was trying to commit the moment to memory, as if he were revelling in it, which she supposed he was; she'd been his imprint long before Paul's and they didn't interact as much, but she was going to make sure she never abandoned him again.

When his tongue swiped across her bottom lip, she was more than willing to part her lips for him, giving him access and allowing him to explore the unfamiliar territory. Her hands slipped from his cheeks to wrap around his neck, inadvertently pulling herself further into him whilst his arms wrapped around her back, keeping her to him. One of her hands slipped to the hair on the back of his neck whilst the other lightly scratched underneath.

He gave a low groan and gripped her tighter, shifting her on his lap so she ended up straddling him. The dome she'd created wore off without warning and they were suddenly soaked by the rain pouring over them, though neither of them seemed to notice.

Hermione gave a soft moan when Jacob nibbled at her bottom lip and she tugged at his hair, a growl rumbling through his chest. Not only did she hear it, she _felt_ it. They pulled apart from each other, their breathing heavy and their eyes locked in a gaze, both looking slightly dazed and with goofy, soft smiles on their faces.

 _"Snowflake, how much longer are you going to be, we're starving?"_ Her father's voice came from the mouth of the large silver-blue dog that'd just arrived and she chuckled, leaning her forehead against Jacob's.

"Told you," she said. "Better now?"

"Perfect," he muttered.

Hermione smiled at him and gave him one final chaste kiss before climbing off his lap, rising to her feet and helping him to stand.

"We should probably get the food, I'm going to get a Patronus with the same message every ten minutes until we get back," she informed him and he chuckled at her.

She found her wand and conjured her own Patronus, her wolf sidling up to her and brushing against her legs as she scratched it behind the ear.

 _"We're just getting the food now, Papa, shouldn't be too long,"_ she said before sending her wolf off with the message.

She apparated them back to the line of shops in La Push and after giving Jacob some time to recover, they walked to the pizzeria and Jacob placed the order, receiving a few strange looks due to the size of it and they happily chatted as they waited. When the order was done and paid for by Hermione, of which she argued with Jacob over, they both took the food and hid behind the shop so Hermione could shrink it down and make them more manageable for transport. She then took Jacob's hand and apparated them to the tent, giving him a few moments to recover and then they walked in together, hand in hand, to see that everyone was already there and waiting, including the Cullens.

"Did you get food?" Sirius asked before she could speak.

Remus sighed and smacked him upside the head, earning several sniggers.

"What he means to say is, did you have a nice time?" Remus said, levelling Sirius with a glare as the wizard scowled and crossed his arms childishly.

"We did," Hermione smiled. "I feel I know Jacob a lot better than I did this morning, and we got caught in the rain," she gestured to their wet clothing, and Remus chuckled before waving his wand at them both, drying out their clothing and hair and she smiled in thanks. "And yes, Papa, we got you your food," she said, moving over to the dining table and placing the pizza boxes on it before enlarging them. He sighed, staring lovingly.

"Honestly," Remus sighed in amusement and rolling his eyes, earning chuckles from their guests.

Hermione looked around the room and the calm atmosphere with a smile on her face; everyone seemed to be _finally_ getting along, and although the wolves and vampires remained on separate couches, they weren't throwing insults, glaring or arguing with each other, which she knew was progress.

Her eyes caught Paul's and he was staring at her intensely; she felt her mouth twitch in amusement when he pointedly looked down at his jeans and back up to her with a cocked eyebrow. She subtly shook her head and he grumbled under his breath, looking put out.

"Right everyone, food's ready,"

The chairs at the dining table were filled before she could blink, Sirius putting them all to shame and beating the wolves by seconds, even though he didn't have super-speed like they did. Hermione shook her head fondly and took her seat beside her Alpha.

~000~000~000~

Later that night after eating together, another training session and saying goodbye to the others, Hermione made her way to her bedroom, headed into her bathroom and exited wearing flannel sleep shorts and a plain white t-shirt. After climbing into bed, rather than snuggling against Paul, she gave him a quick kiss before turning to face Jacob.

She was witness to the smile on his face as she rested her head on his chest with her arm hooked over his waist and Paul laid behind her, his chest pressed to her back, his head resting in the crook of her neck and an arm over her waist. With Edward perched on the couch with a book in his lap, Hermione extinguished the candlelight, plunging the room into darkness, and they all fell asleep with smiles on their faces.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Wednesday 15th November 2006**

Edward sat on the couch in Hermione's bedroom, a book lay open in his lap though he hadn't read a single word and he'd been on the same page for the last two hours. He couldn't explain why, but he found comfort and happiness in watching his mate sleep peacefully.

Although his mate was completely and utterly beautiful, he was far older than the rest of the school population and the pack, he was nearing his one hundredth and fifth birthday, and for that reason, he was much more observant. He could see the worry and fear and the way it clung to her face. He could see the pain and suffering hidden in her eyes. He could see the uneasiness and distrust in the way she moved, her eyes scanning all possible exits and flinching when in the corridors. Her knowledge and her experiences were far beyond that of an eighteen-year-old, something she had in common with him. She carried her past with her always, and it was taking its toll on her.

But when she slept, she was quiet and peaceful. Her body wasn't stiff or tense, but relaxed. Her mouth often twitched into a smile and every so often, she'd sigh in her sleep.

He'd noticed a huge difference in her. In the last week alone she laughed more, she smiled more often, her eyes were no longer swarming with pain and suffering, they were brighter and happier. Jasper had commented that when he was around her, the pain and suffering he usually felt didn't seem to be her dominant emotions, they'd weakened and other emotions were beginning to flourish: laughter, happiness, freedom, love.

And although he loathed admitting it, it was with the help of the wolf pack that she was happier. It was with the help of Black _and_ Lahote that her broken spirit was beginning to heal.

His musings were disturbed by the sound of Black's phone ringing, vibrating against the surface of the bedside table it sat on.

Hermione made an adorable little sound of annoyance before she turned away from Black, snuggling into Lahote's chest as his arm lifted and wrapped around her automatically, holding her to him.

"Answer the damn thing," Lahote grumbled, burying his face in Hermione's hair and breathing deeply.

"Yeah?" Black said groggily, holding his phone against his ear whilst the other hand rubbed tiredly at his eyes and he stifled a yawn. He sighed. "Give us ten minutes," he spoke before snapping the phone shut.

"What is it?"

"It was Sam, Embry's mom caught him trying to leave for patrols and she's throwing a fit, and Emily's not too happy that Sam has patrols again," Black explained and Lahote snorted. "He needs us to cover for them."

"Fine," he grumbled.

He placed a kiss to Hermione's forehead before removing his arms from her and he climbed out of bed, yawning as he headed to the bathroom and Hermione pulled Paul's pillow over to her and snuggled against it.

"We'll be back soon," Black whispered as he leaned over her body and then bent to press a kiss to her cheek. She hummed tiredly in response and he climbed out of bed, heading into the bathroom as Lahote exited.

Lahote shared a look with Edward and he nodded in understanding of what he was conveying; he wanted him to protect her from her nightmares. Black exited the bathroom and sent him a glare, though he noticed it was with less malice than usual, and they both exited the bedroom, neither bothering to change out of their pyjamas, just slipping on shoes.

Edward settled himself into the couch once more, placing the book beside him, he didn't bother pretending to read, he just watched over Hermione as she slept.

~000~000~000~

It was an hour later when he was alerted to something being wrong. Hermione's breathing that had once been even and deep, sped up and she started gasping as if she couldn't catch her breath. He saw a thin sheen of sweat breaking out on her forehead and she was becoming restless, her body shifting beneath the blanket, her head moving from side to side. Noises sounded from her, unintelligible mumbles, and for the first time since meeting her and without even trying, he was sucked into her mind.

It was as if her life flashed before his eyes. He saw her friends dying in front of her; he saw her fighting for her life, even as she was injured and sobbing for her fallen friends. He saw her anger take over and he watched as her opponents dropped like flies at her feet. He saw flashes of her living in a tatty tent, of a giant snake attacking her friend and jumping out of a window. He saw her being dragged into a large manor, being thrown to the floor and being tortured to insanity.

"NO!" She screamed, bolting upright. Her chest heaved, her hands gripped the blanket tightly, tears fell down her cheeks and her wild, frightened eyes darted about her surroundings.

Upon realising where she was, that she was safely tucked up in her bed, her eyes snapped shut as she forced her breathing to calm, Edward paying close attention to her heartbeat, listening as it slowed to normal. After composing herself, her eyes fluttered open, only to catch sight of him sitting on the couch, his expression one of horror and concern.

"You saw, didn't you?" Her voice was tired and she wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands.

He nodded, not being able to reply with words. He'd finally gotten a look inside her brilliant mind and now he understood what she saw, what she was thinking about, why she felt the way she did. He didn't know how she was holding herself together, but knowing that she was getting better amazed him. But he _never_ wanted to witness that again. Whilst he might've seen some of those memories already after they were revealed on the night they'd learned her secret, when inside her mind, he hadn't just seen them, he'd _felt_ them. It'd felt like it had been him to experience those happenings and not her. Edward did not envy Jasper.

"Can I have a hug?" She asked him quietly and he felt his heart breaking in two at the vulnerability she was showing him.

He didn't answer with words; he merely stood from the couch and removed his coat, leaving him wearing his jeans, shoes and a t-shirt. She shuffled over in the bed to give him more room and he sat down next to her, getting himself comfortable by leaning back against the headboard and pulling his feet up onto the bed, crossing his legs at the ankles.

He was a little surprised that she snuggled against him without a care in the world, her arm thrown over his stomach and her head resting against his shoulder. He lifted his arm to hook over her waist and he waited for her to complain about his too cold body temperature but she didn't. Soon enough, her heartbeat and breathing both appeared to be normal and she seemed to have calmed as she remained silent.

"You must be cold," he commented quietly.

"No, I've gotten used to being surrounded by warmth when I sleep, this is a nice difference," she replied, her eyes closed, almost looking as though she were sleeping.

"Is that what you always see?" He dared to ask and he felt her bristle against him. He wasn't sure if he was expecting her to answer his question or not, but she did.

"It's hard for me to push everything to the back of my mind; the people we lost, they were my friends and my family. They were the people that I was around for almost half of my life once I started Hogwarts; I spent more time with them than I did my parents. And it wasn't that they just died; they were murdered, slaughtered, tortured, and I witnessed many of their deaths on the battlefield. Some just hit the ground with their eyes still open due to the Killing Curse. Some died a slow and painful death. Some had their throats ripped out by werewolves, some had been torn apart by vampires."

He flinched at her words and being reminded of _what_ he was, he felt unworthy of touching her. He made to remove his arm from around her but she stopped him by bringing her hand up to hold it in place.

"I witnessed a lot of truly awful things and I will never forget them, no matter how much or how hard I try. I feel pain and sorrow for those that we lost. I feel guilty for surviving the war when people I loved and cared for died. I feel ashamed that I not only took a life, but many. I feel like my heart's broken after losing Harry and Ron. It was like losing a part of me, we were so close and so in-tune with each other, Mrs. Weasley often referred to us as triplets. I'm the one that survived. They're gone and I'm stuck here, without them."

"I'm sad that I lost my biological parents, that they were murdered because they conceived me and I grew up to be a witch _and_ a soldier. I'm sad that I lost Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who practically raised me once I entered the Wizarding World. They were my magical parents and their children, my siblings, blood-related or not. I'm mad at myself that I caused everyone so much worry and pain after the Final Battle because I couldn't cope. But I'm relieved that we won the war, that the Light has taken back Hogwarts and the Ministry, that Sirius and Remus survived. I was furious that I was sent here without being asked for my opinion on the matter, but I'm happy. Happier than I've been in a long time. You're good for us, the pack and your family, not only for me but for my fathers, too. They may look like they're holding it together but they have nightmares, too. They fought in the First _and_ Second War. Sirius had been imprisoned with soul-sucking creatures and was treated like a murderer for crimes he was innocent of. Twelve years he suffered and I know it still affects him, and Remus suffers from being a werewolf, having to go through the pain of the transformation. We all have our problems and our demons, we just deal with them differently and some of us can hide it better than others."

She fell silent and he thought her words over, trying to slip into her mind to catch a glimpse of her thoughts but she'd once again blocked him, but to be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to know what she was thinking, not after what he witnessed during her nightmare.

"What's your favourite thing about being a vampire?"

"What?" He blurted out in shock. Of all the things she could have said or asked him, that was the most surprising. Had anyone ever asked him such a question? He didn't think so.

"What's your favourite thing about being a vampire?" She repeated, tipping her head to look up at him and seeing the frown that marred his features.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Talk me through your thoughts," she encouraged.

"I suppose it's useful that I have advanced hearing, sight and smell but it can be both a blessing and a curse," he grimaced and she giggled at him, warming his ice-cold heart. "The speed isn't too bad a perk either; I can never really be late for anything. And not being able to sleep means that I have all the time in the world to learn new things, to read as many books as I wish to without feeling tired or being worried that I'd stayed up too late and I wouldn't get enough sleep to be able to function the next day. But the downfall to that is I'm unable to dream, I'm unable to see what my imagination can conjure when sleeping. Being able to read thoughts has become second nature to me, I don't even realise I'm doing it most of the time and it's easier to not pay attention than it once was. Again, it's both a blessing and a curse. I hate that I have to drink blood to survive but there's nothing I can do but remain on an animal diet."

"You've got nothing to be ashamed of," she promised, her voice soft and sleepy. "You may be a vampire and I know that it's not of your choosing, but you still have some of your humanity. You're still able to think like a human. You're able to learn, grow and develop as a person. You're able to feel and show human emotions. Just because your heart doesn't beat doesn't mean you don't have one, and just because you don't require the need to breathe, doesn't mean you're dead inside. Yes, technically you _are_ dead, but you are in a sense, just as alive as the rest of us. A vampire is _what_ you are, Edward Cullen is _who_ you are, there's a big difference."

Her words surprised him; they filled him with hope, and he knew from her soft yet determined voice that she'd truly meant every word she'd spoken. He allowed both of his arms to fold around her, holding her against him more closely.

"What's your favourite thing about being a witch?" He returned the question, being curious about her answer.

"I have access to a whole other world that is thought to have never existed. I can see some of the darkest creatures in existence, as well as some of the most beautiful. I'm able to interact with magical creatures and beings and learn more about them. I'm able to learn unbelievable forms of magic. I love being able to cast charms and spells that make children erupt into laughter. I love knowing that my magic comes from a place of love and family and friendship, rather than hatred and darkness and cruelty. There's power and magic in love, some may laugh and others may think I'm crazy, but I've seen it and I know it's possible to save someone's life simply by loving them, Harry was the perfect example. Magic can make you feel things that I can't even begin to describe, and I hate that people take it for granted."

She pulled away from him unexpectedly, unwinding his arms from around her and she sat up, crossing her legs as she faced him.

"Give me your hands," she instructed.

He gave her a raised eyebrow but did as she wished, feeling the heat coming from her small hands as she settled them over his, cupping them together. She brought their hands up to her mouth and she closed her eyes, her warm breath ghosting over his fingertips and she whispered beneath her breath, words he didn't understand. His brow furrowed when he felt something licking at his fingers, his cold skin tingling under the sensation. She leaned back and slowly opened her hands, making sure to pull his open, too, and his eyes widened in surprised wonder at the sight of blue flames sitting in his cupped hands.

"These are my signature blue-bell flames, I'm known for casting them and have been for years," she told him. "Although it is true fire, they're unable to harm you. They're used to provide warmth and light and they're portable; they can be kept in glass jars and without oxygen they'll still burn."

"Amazing," he muttered, and when she released his hands, he brought the flames closer to his face; the warmth washed over his skin and his eyes gazed at the dancing flames sat in his hands.

"I used to cast these for the younger students at school, particularly for those that were being bullied and picked on for being Muggleborns. I used these to show them that we're capable of exactly the same things as every other witch or wizard, that we're just as capable of creating beautiful things and casting complex magic. My blue-bell flames always cheered them up and they would leave me with smiles on their faces and a newfound confidence in themselves and their ability to practice magic." She tore her eyes from the flames and looked to him. "I know you're worried," she said, finally broaching the subject and beginning the talk she'd wanted to have with him for a while.

He managed to pull his eyes from the dancing flames that were holding his attention and with a wave of her hand, the flames vanished. He blinked slowly before turning his eyes to her.

"I know you're worried about your position in my life. I've already spoken to Jacob and he now understands, just as Paul does, and now I need to help you to better understand it, too." A frown pulled at his face. "You have no reason to worry; you won't hurt me."

"You don't know that, I'm dangerous," he protested.

She nodded her head. "Yes, you are dangerous," she admitted and it surprised him; Bella had always waved away his worries and never believed what he said to be true. "You're dangerous in the sense that you are capable of killing so efficiently and so quickly, no one would even notice. You're capable of so many things with your advanced abilities and senses. And yes, you are dangerous because you're a vampire. But you're not dangerous to me. Do you want to hurt me?"

He looked horrified that she'd even asked him that question and she smiled at him.

"No, you don't," she answered for him knowingly. "You're not dangerous to me in the physical sense as you don't _want_ to hurt me. My blood doesn't appeal to you as we've witnessed many times since you started attended my training sessions. The only way you could hurt me is by accidentally using your strength, and we both know that you're so careful it's barely a possibility. You're dangerous to me because now that I've found you and I know you're my soul bond, you effectively hold a third of my heart and soul in your hands, and if you wished to, you could cause me some serious damage. You could hurt me in ways the war never did, in ways thought impossible, in ways no one ever could."

Once again, a horrified expression crossed his face.

"You, Paul and Jacob each hold one-third of my heart and soul. Without all three of you, my life will never be complete. And I'll tell you the same thing I told Jacob, I _need_ _all_ of you in my life. The things Jacob and Paul can give me, you may not be able to, and the things that you can give me, Jacob and Paul may not be able to. You will each give me something the other can't. You can challenge me intellectually, Paul can keep up with me with wit and humour and Jacob..." she paused, taking a moment to think. "I've recently discovered that Jacob can get me to talk about things I never normally would, he supports me in a way I didn't have before. I won't abandon any of you and I've made it a priority that none of you feels as though I am. I'll try to spend equal amounts of time with you, as a group and individually. Your safety and your happiness are important to me. I don't know why you were chosen or why Paul and Jacob were, but it's Fate and it's not something that should be messed with. I don't want you to worry about me asking you to turn me because I won't," she promised. "And when age becomes a factor, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?"

His face had since lost the frown and horrified expression, and as he locked gazes with her, his eyes and facial expression softened.

"I'm _not_ Bella, I won't treat you the way she did, I won't expect anything from you and I won't force you into anything or ask anything of you that you're not comfortable with." She stared at him, willing him to understand. He nodded slowly, his golden eyes shining in the dark room.

She smiled. "Good, now, give me a hug," she said, pushing herself up onto her knees and leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck. He stiffened slightly before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him.

The heat of her body was warming his ice-cold skin and it was a nice feeling. He could hear her heart beating steadily in her chest and he could smell her strawberry and vanilla scent, but also a hint of Black and Lahote, and although it annoyed him that he could smell them on her, it wasn't as irritating as he thought it would be. It was tolerable.

She had to stop herself from laughing when his cold nose tickled her neck as he took in her scent, inhaling deeply. He was more like Paul and Jacob than he realised. She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before pulling away from him, smiling softly, and feeling a little surprised when she noticed his eyes were focused on her mouth.

"I really want to kiss you," he admitted quietly, his eyes darting up to hers.

"I'm not going to stop you."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Did you hurt Bella?"

"No, but it was difficult for me to remain in control."

"I'm not Bella, you said so yourself, I'm your _mate_. You could never hurt me. You don't have to lose control, just loosen the leash a little," she advised.

His eyes fell away from hers and back down to her mouth. He leaned in closer before hesitating and Hermione rolled her eyes before they fluttered closed and she closed the distance between them, pressing her warm, soft lips, against his cold marble ones. The difference was a strange yet pleasant sensation, and there it was, the feelings that surfaced when kissing Paul and Jacob made an appearance with Edward. A little jolt of lightning and magic passed through her, a warm sensation settling around her heart. Barely seconds later, he nudged her away from him gently and she smiled down at him. It was only a simple press of the lips, but it was progress.

"I'm not going to push you," she promised before unwrapping her arms from around his neck and then laying back down against him, snuggling under the covers.

She yawned and she soon fell asleep, snuggled against him as he played with her hair and held her to him.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All translations are from Google translate, as I'm not cool enough to speak another language other than English. If there are mistakes, which I'm sure there is as translator can't be trusted, I apologise in advance but I'm sure you'll understand the majority of it.
> 
> Page count: 6

**Friday 17th November 2006**

"Well, that went well," Hermione commented as Jacob dragged her by the hand, down a corridor and into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

"I'm just glad they _finally_ got to meet them, now they'll stop bugging me," he replied relieved and she snorted at him, her eyes darting about his bedroom curiously.

His room was decorated in browns and dark reds with posters of bikes and cars covering the walls. His single bed sat against the wall, the headboard below the single window in the room, the desk and chair against the wall and a door, which she believed to be the closet. The room was tiny, especially for someone of Jacob's size and she didn't doubt he wouldn't be able to fit in the bed comfortably.

She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled, seeming to understand her chain of thought.

"I sleep with you not only 'cause I can relax knowing that you're safe and I'm nearby, but your mattress is _the_ comfiest thing I've ever come across," he said and she laughed at him. "What d'you think they're talking about?" Jacob asked, taking her hand in his and pulling her over to his bed so they could sit down together.

"I honestly don't know, but Remus will keep Sirius inline so hopefully your father won't end up injured when Sirius tries to show off his magical capabilities," she sighed and he chuckled at her. "How do you feel now that your father knows everything?"

"Like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders," he admitted. "He's known from the beginning that you're my imprint, but now he knows what you're capable of, I think he's relieved that it gives our Tribe another form of protection, a _powerful_ defence."

"And he's not mad that you spend most of your time with me, including that you stay with me at night rather than coming home?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Not really," he shrugged his large shoulders. "He understands the importance of a wolf having an imprint and he's always given me a lot of leeway growing up, he's allowed me to grow and he raised me to be independent. He trusts my decisions and although I'm seventeen, he doesn't treat me as such since I have responsibilities no seventeen-year-old should. He treats me like an adult. So if I spend the night somewhere else, as long as he knows I'm safe, then he's fine with it."

"He seems like a wonderful father," she commented and he smiled at her. "Come on then, Spanish."

He groaned. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, I promised I'd have you top of your class and that means we have to practice."

"But I don't want to, I _hate_ Spanish," he all but pouted and she rolled her eyes.

"It seems you need motivation," she mused.

"Motivation?"

"Yes," she nodded. "For every answer you give correctly, you get..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing in thought.

"A kiss?" he suggested.

She tipped her head, looking up at him with a cocked eyebrow and he smiled cheekily. "Alright, for every answer you give correctly, I'll give you a kiss," she agreed.

"Now that's motivation I can get behind," he said, sitting taller and giving her his full attention.

She snorted. "We'll start with something easy. In Spanish, tell me the words for morning, afternoon and evening."

" _Mañana, tarde un noche_ ," he replied with little effort, and she nodded, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He scowled, having expected a kiss on the mouth and her mouth twitched in amusement.

"Well done," she praised. "Now, do the same for mother, father, daughter and son."

He frowned in thought. " _Madre, padre, hija un hijo_."

She smiled, nodded and leaned closer to kiss his other cheek, his scowl deepening at the action.

"Great, now, tell me the Spanish words for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

" _Desayuno, almuerzo un cena_."

She smiled and kissed his cheek once again, seeing that he was put out with her and she chuckled.

"Relax, at the moment I'm just testing you to see what you know, when I ask you more difficult questions, that's when I'll reward you with a kiss."

~000~000~000~

An hour later and Hermione'd discovered that Jacob was far better at Spanish than he'd led her to believe, it wasn't that he didn't know it, more that he wasn't interested and kept losing focus. She'd asked him to name random objects or animals, places and colours and he had done so, mainly without issue, only struggling with a few of which she helped him with. His pronunciation was quite on point, too, and he sat taller when she'd told him so.

"Alright, time for the more difficult line of questioning," she said. "If I were to ask you where your bathroom is, how would you reply?"

" _El cuarto de baño está en el pasillo, la segunda puerta a la derecha_."

Hermione beamed at him before leaning closer to peck him on the mouth and pulling back before he could attempt to keep her there. Despite that, he didn't look pleased she'd pulled away from him so soon, her mouth tugged into a smile.

"And what would you say if I were to ask for directions to the nearest pizzeria?"

A look of concentration took over his face and his brow furrowed in thought. " _Es una unidad de diez minutos o un paseo de veinticinco minutos. Todo lo que hacen es tomar la primera a la izquierda después de salir de aquí, tomar la siguiente a la derecha y luego seguir la carretera hasta llegar a su destino."_

She nodded and smiled, leaning over to kiss him once more, staying slightly longer than before and then pulling back from him.

"Alright, now tell me about your family."

His frown deepened and he paused for a moment before saying, " _Mi padre se llama Billy, y tengo dos hermanas gemelas. Rachel y Rebecca. Mi madre murió hace seis años en un accidente automovilístico. Mi hermana se casó y se mudó del país y mi otra hermana fue a la universidad en Seattle_."

"And you say you're failing, Spanish," she made a sound of disbelief before leaning forward and kissing him.

Before she could pull away, Jacob's hand snaked to the back of her neck to keep her from moving and she made a sound of surprise at the action, managing to break free and looking at him with an amused scowl.

"I'm supposed to be tutoring you," she reminded him.

"I prefer this," he replied innocently, tugging her back to him and muffling her laughter when he kissed her. Well, if she couldn't convince him to continue with his tutoring, she'd at least enjoy herself.

His tongue swiped across the seam of her lips and she opened to give him entrance, her tongue moving to greet his when it entered through her parted lips. Her hands settled against his cheeks and his fell down to her hips, effortlessly lifting her from the mattress and setting her down on his lap as if she weighed nothing. Her body twisted uncomfortably and seeming to know this, he lifted her once more and set her back down, her knees braced against the mattress as she straddled his lap. Her arms slipped around his neck, her hands burying in his hair and tugging lightly on the strands, as he folded his arms around her back, pulling her against him and keeping her in place.

When a 'crash' sounded from the living room and was followed by raucous laughter, they both separated, their eyes and heads turning towards the bedroom door.

"How long have we been in here?" She asked him, slightly breathless.

"An hour maybe, why?"

She sighed. "That's more than enough time for them to get into trouble, come on."

She climbed from his lap, took his hand and pulled him out of his bedroom, down the corridor and back to the living room. The sight that met them was one Jacob definitely hadn't been expecting and he burst into laughter whilst Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, her foot tapping against the ground and a disapproving look on her face.

Sirius was currently being dangled upside down by his ankles whilst Remus was sat on the couch sporting donkey ears, teeth and a tail. Billy was laughing loudly, uncontrollably, doubled over on himself with a glass of familiar orange liquid held in his hand and he was sporting a pair of large antlers on his head. Hermione was glad that Sue and Quil had the foresight to leave _before_ the alcohol made an appearance, bloody _wizarding_ alcohol at that!

"Oh, for Godric's Sake," Hermione huffed, using her wand to cancel the spells.

Sirius fell to the ground and narrowly avoided landing on his head, and he groaned loudly when his back thudded against the hard wooden floor, sprawling out and not moving. Remus laughed and tugged at his ears, checking they were still there and Billy reached up to feel that the antlers were gone.

"I leave you alone for an hour and you're already dishing out the fire whiskey, trying to show off and disfiguring each other."

"Relax, Snowflake," Sirius said, climbing to his feet clumsily and leaning against the back of the couch for support, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're all Blacks here, well, except for Moony but he's an honorary Black," he winked at Remus and Jacob sniggered beside her, whilst Remus and Billy laughed at the disapproving look she pinned them with. "We'll take care of the old boy," he promised, walking over to Billy and flopping down on the couch beside him.

"Less of the old," Billy grumbled.

Jacob snorted as he watched the three men fall back into conversation, completely ignoring their presence and Hermione's admittedly frightening scowl. When Jacob saw Sirius reaching for his wand again, he took Hermione by the hand and pulled her out of the house before they ended up with a disfiguration of some kind themselves.

"Your dads are brilliant," he chuckled, tugging her into him as they stepped outside onto the porch and settled his hands on her waist.

"They're hard work, Sirius, more so than Remus, but even he has his moments, particularly when he's drunk or it's around the time of the full moon," she sighed and he chuckled at her.

"Now, I do believe we were interrupted," his mouth tugged into a smirk as he stared down at her.

She snorted but rose onto her tiptoes and given their height difference, Jacob being an entire foot taller than her, he hunched over and just as their mouths touched, another crash sounded from inside the house. Looking to one another, they both burst into laughter, Hermione unable to prevent it the second time.

"Come on, I feel we're still in the danger zone," he said amused, glancing towards the closed door and imagining the sights he'd see if they were to check on them.

He took her by the hand and pulled her down the steps of the porch and further away from the house, the both of them laughing as yelling and insults could be heard coming from inside the house. He tugged her over to his parked car and before she could protest, he settled his hands against her hips and lifted her, sitting her on the bonnet with an adorable squeak of surprise sounding from her.

"Next time, a little warning would be nice. Why'd you do that?"

"You're tiny," he said fondly, the corners of his mouth twitching as he gently tugged on a curl.

"I'll have you know, I'm average height for a female. The only reason you're so tall is due to your shape-shifting abilities, and I hadn't realised just _how_ tall you are until recently, and there is absolutely no need for it," she responded, crossing her arms over her chest in a little huff and he chuckled at her.

He ducked his head and kissed her and now she was perched on the car, he didn't have to bend down as much. He stepped closer to her, between her parted legs and his hands slipped to her hips whilst hers buried in his hair. Hermione's hands fell from his hair, down his neck and over his shoulders, smoothing over his chest and when she reached his ribs, she tickled him relentlessly.

He pulled back from her, laughing loudly and trying to wriggle away from her but she hopped off the car and followed after him when he stepped backwards, trying to break free of her assault. She turned on her heel and ran from him in the opposite direction, being grateful she'd chosen to wear flat-heeled boots that day.

"That's not fair!" He called loudly, amusement filling his voice as he barely controlled his laughter.

"All's fair in love and war!" She called back, peering over her shoulder to see he was chasing after her and gaining on her far quicker than she liked. She put on a burst of speed, as they both laughed, running about the large open space his house sat on.

Hermione squealed and quickly changed directions, just in time to miss Jacob lunging towards her. He missed the edge of her t-shirt by inches and fell to the ground, landing on the grass with a 'thud'. She skidded to a stop, twisting to look behind her and a laugh fell from her, seeing his sprawled position on the ground. He pushed himself to his knees, narrowing his eyes playfully and she darted away from him when he climbed to his feet and chased after her.

"That wasn't nice, Hermione," he complained.

"That's where my small frame comes in handy, I'm more agile than you are," she sang, once more changing directions as he reached out to grab her around the waist, inches between his fingers and her clothing.

If they'd have been paying attention, they would've seen the red truck pulling up, and they definitely would've heard it with the rattling and banging it was making.

Hermione peered over her shoulder, frowning slightly when Jacob wasn't behind her but before she could halt in her steps or search her surroundings, she was suddenly tackled from the side. She squealed in laughter as she found herself tumbling to the ground only before she landed, Jacob twisted beneath her, hitting the ground first and cushioning her fall. She landed on top of him, laughing loudly as a bright smile lit her face and her eyes sparkled. Jacob was in awe of her beauty and he reached up, pushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"You cheated," she accused through a smile as her laughter tapered off. He hadn't seen her look so happy; he hadn't seen her laugh so much or smile as brightly as she was now. She was truly beautiful, whether he was biased or not,

"All's fair in love and war," he repeated.

"Using my words against me? Nicely played, Black," she said amused.

"Are you happy?" He asked her.

His question took her off guard and she blinked in surprise. "Yes, I'm happy," she said without hesitation. "We may have been fated but my feelings and emotions are my own and nothing can force or influence them. So believe me when I say, I'm happy, and it's because of you, and Paul, and Edward and the Cullens, your pack and my fathers. It's because of all of you that I'm getting better, that I'm _feeling_ better, and that I'm happier than I've been in a long time," she confessed softly.

His mouth tugged into a smile as they held gazes for a few moments and then his head lifted and hers tilted down and they kissed, their lips barely touching before they were interrupted.

"JAKE!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Friday 17th November 2006**

They pulled back from each other and Hermione's good mood plummeted to the depths of hell when she turned her eyes from Jacob to see none other than Bella Swan storming over to them, though it did make her feel a little better when she slipped and almost fell to the ground before she caught herself. Hermione wasn't going to lie; she was disappointed she didn't hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Jacob wasn't happy at being interrupted during his time with Hermione, especially when he had to contend with her two other soul bonds as Hermione tried to balance her time equally amongst them. And his annoyance only doubled when he saw Hermione's bright smile drop from her face. It made it even worse that it was Bella, of all people, who'd interrupted their time together.

Hermione grumbled insults under her breath and his eyes widened at the language she was using, as well as the creativity of some of them, wondering if she'd learned them from her father or possibly Rosalie Hale, as he knew the blonde had quite the vocabulary on her. Hermione pushed herself off him and climbed to her feet, offering her hand and helping him to stand. She tried to release it but he held it tighter, and just as Bella reached them.

"What're you doing here, Bella?" Jacob asked, sounding annoyed even to his own ears.

"What the hell are you doing with _her_?" She demanded, not bothering to hide her look of dislike and disgust and Jacob stiffened beside her.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," he replied, his voice deepening slightly and Bella took a step back in surprise.

"I'll leave you alone to talk," Hermione interrupted, tugging her hand free from his.

"You don't have to," he turned his attention to her, frowning slightly.

"It's perfectly alright, besides..." Her voice lowered so only he could hear, "If I stay and she insults me, I'll probably punch her in the face," she admitted in a mutter and he chuckled. "I better check on our fathers, they're far too quiet for my liking," she spoke before reaching up on her tiptoes and he tilted his head so she could press a kiss to his cheek before she crossed to the house without a second glance to Bella.

When Hermione entered the house, it was to see Billy Black passed out drunk on the couch with his empty glass dangling from his outstretched hand. She sighed before walking over to him, taking the glass from his hold and setting it on the table and then pulling the throw cover from the back of the couch and covering him with it. Leaving the elder Black to his sleep, she followed the strange sounds to the kitchen where she found Sirius and Remus. They were sat on the ground with their backs pressed against the cupboards, giggling like school girls and whispering to one another and with cereal covering their clothing and the ground along with milk spillages.

She ran her hand through her hair, rolled her eyes and then chuckled.

They'd started drinking almost two hours ago when Hermione and Jacob had left them alone. Fire whiskey was a strong alcoholic drink and for someone such as Billy Black, a muggle and someone not used to drinking it, it wouldn't take much at all to knock him out. But for Sirius who was accustomed to it as he drank it every day and in large amounts at that, and Remus, who was a werewolf with a faster metabolism, it took more than it usually would to get them drunk. She had no idea how much they'd consumed in her absence as they were definitely drunk, so it must've been a fairly decent amount, especially when the average wizard could take no more than half a bottle of fire whiskey before finding themselves smashed.

She should scold them, she should shout at them, but in all honesty, she hadn't seen them have so much fun in a long time and Merlin knew they deserved to let off some steam every once in a while. Instead, she'd send them home and cancel training for the night and the following morning as they'd run out of Sobriety Potions as well as Hangover Potions, meaning they would feel awful in the morning and nowhere near up to training, let alone getting out of bed.

She bent down to pick up the now empty cereal box from the floor and she turned it into a port-key, charming it to take them straight to their bedroom, not trusting the two wizards to find their way through the woods and to the tent without injuring themselves. She slipped her wand beneath her sleeve and approached them.

"Snowflake!" Sirius yelled happily when they saw her nearing. "There's the most wonderful daughter in the world," he grinned, pulling himself to his feet with the use of the counter behind him, only to slip and fall when he took a step.

Remus burst out laughing. "Very smooth, Padfoot," he teased.

Sirius scowled at him, crossing his arms childishly and sticking his tongue out.

"Alpha, Papa, I have a present for you," she sang.

"Present!" They chorused excitedly, very similar to a child on Christmas day.

After some effort and several attempts, they were able to climb to their feet, only they weren't able to stand still, swaying slightly on the spot. _Merlin! Just_ how _much had they drunk?_ Rolling her eyes and released a chuckle, she closed the distance between them, saving them the walk and injuries.

"Yes, a present, but it's a surprise and it's waiting for you at home. All you have to do is touch this," she said.

They looked at each other before lunging for the cereal box, fighting each other as they both wanted it. Hermione snorted before letting go, the port-key activating as her fathers fought over the cereal box, the sounds of their yells echoing in their wake as they disappeared. With thanks to the time-delayed Sticking Charm, something Hermione had the thought to cast, they wouldn't be able to let go of the port-key until they reached their destination, preventing them from injuring themselves though she wouldn't be surprised if they had a few injuries from the landing, as they didn't have the clear mind that was needed to land on their feet safely.

With her fathers taken care of and Billy Black passed out on the couch, Hermione turned her attention to cleaning the kitchen of the mess her fathers had made. As she stood at the sink, washing the glasses they'd used, she stood before the window where she was able to see what looked to be Jacob and Bella having a heated argument, before Jacob stormed away and crossed to the house. She hadn't been close enough to hear any of the conversation but Jacob's reaction wasn't a good one.

The door slammed shut as he stormed into the house, straight past her and to his bedroom, that door slamming shut, too.

Frowning in concern, Hermione wiped her hands dry before she stepped away from the sink and made her way through the house, stepping onto the porch and descending the stairs as she slowly approached Bella. Although the look on Hermione's face appeared calm, she was anything but. Still, she'd be nice for Jacob's sake no matter how much she disliked the girl.

"You should watch what you say to him or you'll lose his friendship," Hermione warned.

Bella glared at her. "This has nothing to do with you," she sneered.

Hermione's eyebrow arched. "You best be nice to me, Swan, if I were to ask, Jacob would choose me over you without hesitation."

"He's my friend, you're just someone to occupy his time until he gets over his anger."

Hermione tried to hold it but failed and she laughed, right in her face until tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and she reached up to wipe them away.

"I haven't had a laugh like that in a long time," she breathed out before giving herself a mental shake. "I'm sorry to break this to you, Swan, but my involvement with Jacob has nothing to do with his anger towards you, nor does it have anything to do with the time it's taken for him to speak to you again. I told him I don't like you, but still, I support his decision to either speak with you or ignore you, I could influence him in either direction since he values my opinion, but I refuse to interfere in his friendships."

"He's just using you, he loves me," she gloated arrogantly.

"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, but he's not _in love_ with you, not anymore. You lost him the day I met him," she said cryptically, unsure if Jacob had mentioned his imprinting on her but the clueless look on Bella's face gave her the answer. "Jacob's angry with you, as is Edward."

"You know nothing about what happened," she took a threatening step forward, Hermione looked down at her amused, seeing as she was slightly taller than her.

"One again, that's where you're wrong, I think we've found your special talent, Swan. I know more than you realise, more than you do at this point and if it wasn't for the pack, who hate you, by the way, you'd have died weeks ago; you ought to be more grateful. And leave Edward alone, you're the one that broke up with him, stop badgering him, you're a borderline stalker."

Having felt she'd said enough and given Bella plenty enough warnings, she turned and headed back to the house, only to pause in her steps.

"I'm not the one whoring it around with two guys!" Bella snapped.

Hermione twisted to face her.

"Neither am I," she said truthfully. Well, she wasn't, it was actually _three_ guys so she wasn't lying. "What Edward and I have between us is complicated, and I'm with Jacob. They're not yours anymore and they never were. You're just pissed that you fucked them off and now they've found a friendship in me, because they know I would never treat them the way you did. From what I've been told, you were the one stuck between two guys."

"You Bitch!" Bella raged, her arm raising and her hand aiming for Hermione's face.

With reflexes like Hermione's, Bella would have to be a lot quicker. Hermione easily caught her by the wrist, tugged her towards her, twisted beneath her arm and then flung her over her shoulder until Bella hit the ground. After everything she'd been forced to deal with, after taking the higher ground time and time again, after being the bigger woman and ignoring her, Hermione'd had enough. She could no longer restrain herself and she felt Bella more than deserved it; Hermione brought her fist back and hit Bella in the face, taking great satisfaction at the sound of her nose breaking.

 _Sorry, boys,_ she thought.

Bella cried out in pain and tears leaked from of her eyes, her hands coming up to stem the blood flow and her eyes wide and fearful, staring at Hermione who no longer looked calm and composed. She looked furious.

"I'm done playing nice, you insipid cow," Hermione said, her voice cold and angry. "Leave Edward _and_ Jacob alone, stop bothering them. If they wish to see or speak with you they will of their own accord. Now, I suggest you leave _before_ I lose my temper."

Bella shuffled to her feet before run-stumbling towards her truck.

"My dad'll make you pay for this!" She screeched.

"I highly doubt he will, but I look forward to seeing him try. See you on Monday," she said with a sweet smile and a little wave of her fingertips.

Just as she was climbing into her truck, Hermione slipped her wand beneath her sleeve and whispered, " _Langlock,_ " effectively preventing Bella from being able to talk about Hermione's relationship with Jacob and Edward to anyone, including in written form.

She waited until Bella drove away before turning and heading to the house, stilling in her steps when she saw Jacob stood on the porch steps, staring at her with wide, shocked eyes.

"Err...I can explain," she said sheepishly.

His response surprised her. He burst out laughing, holding onto the railing for support to stop himself from falling down the stairs. As his laughter calmed, he made his way towards her and when he reached her, he picked her up in his arms, lifting her from the ground and hugged her tightly.

"That was brilliant," he commented, placing her feet back on the ground and pulling back to stare down at her face, his arms remaining locked around her waist. "I know I should disapprove given she's _supposedly_ my friend, but I can't help feel proud of you."

"How much of that did you hear?" She asked.

"Most of it," he shrugged his shoulders, his mouth tugging into a smile and she rolled her eyes. "You know she's going to tell Charlie, right?"

"I'm counting on it," she grinned evilly.

"Do I want to know what you've got planned?" He arched his eyebrow.

"Probably not since it involves ruining her reputation _and_ her student record; I can be just as much of a bitch as she can. I've stayed quiet long enough and I can't anymore for fear of either bursting or losing control of my magic. She's an awful human being and it's time she learns she can't treat people the way she does without repercussions."

"So I _don't_ want to know," he confirmed, tipping his head with an amused smile on his face.

"I can't wait for Monday," she grinned.

"Why?" He asked, almost too afraid to ask.

"She's going to look like a raccoon with the matching black eyes she's sure to have."

"You broke her nose, I heard it."

"So did I," she grinned and he chuckled at her.

~000~000~000~

"Why has training been cancelled for today _and_ tomorrow?" Edward asked as he sat on the couch in Hermione's bedroom, leaning back into the cushions and crossing his arms over his chest.

Paul reclined comfortably on the bed, his arms folded behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. Jacob perched on the edge of the mattress, trying to fight off a smile whilst keeping his thoughts away from Bella to keep Edward from seeing what had happened.

"Sirius and Remus are passed out in their room, drunk. They broke out the fire whiskey whilst we were at Jacob's. Poor Billy didn't stand a chance, but Sirius and Remus are more accustomed to it, Sirius drinks it daily and in large amounts, Remus' metabolism's a lot faster and so it takes a _lot_ of it to get them both drunk. I found Billy passed out on the couch and I sent Sirius and Remus here in their drunken states. I haven't got any Sobriety or Hangover Potions left so they're going to suffer in the morning, they're not in any fit state to train, they'll be a danger to themselves."

Paul laughed and Jacob sniggered remembering the state his father had been in before Hermione had made sure he was comfortably settled for the night before returning to the tent.

"Alright, so _why_ are we convened in here? And why do you have a guilty look on your face?"

"What guilty look?" She asked innocently.

" _That_ guilty look," he replied amused, gesturing to her pointedly.

"Please don't be mad at me," she said sheepishly and Jacob snorted.

"What did you do?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Bella may have turned up at Jacob's..."

"Continue," he instructed, watching her warily.

"I left them alone to talk and after Jacob tried to wake the dead after his argument with her, I may have spoken with her."

"And?" Paul questioned, his eyes darting between the apologetic look on her face and the proud, amused look on Jacob's.

"She threatened me, she tried to slap me and I lost control of myself."

" _What_ did you do?" Edward asked, sitting up and leaning forward. She bit her lip. "Hermione?" He chastised.

She sighed. "I broke her nose," she admitted.

The room was silent.

Jacob, unable to hold his laughter in any longer, exploded into guffaws, breaking the silence in the room. Paul stared at her and the guilty look on her face, before he, too, started laughing loudly, his body shaking and his hands moving to cover his face, muffling his laughter. Edward slowly blinked in surprise, once, twice, before a snort of amusement broke free. Jacob had been unable to keep his thoughts away from the incident during his laughter and Edward saw _everything_ that happened. His snort quickly morphed into a laugh, one Hermione had never heard from him before.

Hermione stood in the centre of her bedroom, staring in surprise as her three soul bonds were practically doubled over on themselves with laughter, their bodies shaking and their eyes watering.

She blinked slowly before huffing, crossing her arms over her chest childishly and grumbling beneath her breath.

Edward was the first to pull himself together, his laughter dying off into chuckles. Shaking his head amused at not only what she'd done but her current sulking, he stood from the couch and walked over to her.

When she lifted her head to look at him, she saw the amusement held in his eyes and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly into a smile, and she felt her annoyance dissipate. It wasn't often he looked so happy, if she was being honest, whenever she caught sight of him he always seemed to have a permanent broody look on his face. Seeing him genuinely looking happy was a new experience for her and he looked even more handsome when he was smiling.

"I don't regret it," she told him honestly. "I've told you, I've been more than patient with her and I've held myself back for too long. She called me a whore." His amusement dropped instantly and the laughter in the room quickly died down, low growls ripping from the wolves' throats; she rolled her eyes at their over protectiveness. "She threatened me, she insulted me, she tried to slap me and I couldn't allow her to think she's better than me any longer. And so, I broke her nose and told her to leave before I lost my temper. She's _not_ better than me. I've had people putting me down all my life and I'm being hunted simply because of my blood. She's not smarter than me, she's not as compassionate as I am, and she hasn't experienced what I have. She's able to sleep at night without the horrors of her past haunting her, without the fear that she won't live to see the morning. Her greatest worry is handing in her next homework assignment on time. She is _not_ better than me."

His face softened and he stared down at her fondly.

"No, she's not," he agreed quietly.

And his next actions shocked her as much as when she'd first learned of the existence of magic, maybe even more so.

He lowered his head and placed a tender kiss to her forehead before gently tugging her into him, wrapping her up in his arms in a hug. Over his shoulder, her wide eyes looked to Jacob and Paul in pure surprise and they sniggered at her response. She blinked slowly and before Edward had the chance to think she was rejecting him, she folded her arms around his waist and sighed happily.

"I'm not mad at you," he told her. "If I'm honest, I'm proud that you were able to control yourself, I know of your dislike for her and you're right, you were more than patient and Bella should've understood the message. But you do know that she's going to get Charlie involved? He'll likely arrest you for assault; you're eighteen, an adult."

When he felt her smile curve against his skin, he pulled back and looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. That hadn't been the reaction he was expecting. She was up to something, he knew it.

"I'm hoping she gets her father involved."

"What do you have planned?" He questioned.

"I can be just as much of a bitch as she can, and unfortunately for her, she's released mine. I'm going to show her there are repercussions to her actions. She's an awful human being and she deserves what I have planned for her."


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Monday 20th November 2006**

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Rosalie hissed.

Hermione lifted her aching head from leaning against the back of the couch and she looked at Rosalie with an arched eyebrow, seeing her stood with her hands on her hips and a fierce glare that was directed at her. Hermione was sure she looked a right sight, after their early morning training session she was covered in healing paste, burn salve and bandages.

"Excuse me?"

Rosalie's glare hardened. "Why the _hell_ didn't you tell me you broke Bella-Bitch's nose?" She demanded.

"What?" A chorus of confused voices sounded, everyone turning away from their own conversations to stare at her in surprise.

"She broke Bella-Bitch's nose, keep up," Rosalie snapped. The only ones that didn't appear to be confused were Remus, Sirius, Edward and the sniggering Paul and Jacob.

"You broke Bella's nose?" Jasper questioned. His face was a mask of calm yet the corners of his eyes crinkled and his mouth twitched in amusement.

"Yes, I did," she shrugged her shoulders before dropping her head back against the couch and closing her eyes.

"Why?" Alice's musical voice asked.

"She deserved it; she called me a whore, insulted me, threatened me _and_ she tried to slap me, all in the space of five minutes."

" _Big_ mistake," Paul injected.

"So I broke her nose," she shrugged.

"And why the hell didn't you tell me? Why did I have to hear it from Lahote?" Rosalie glared.

Hermione lifted her head, a smile on her face. Rosalie had referred to Paul by name and not 'mutt' or 'flea-bag' and Hermione felt pride and happiness swarm through her. Rosalie held the most hatred for the pack and yet she was no longer throwing insults their way, which meant a lot of progress had been made. She wasn't friendly with them like Emmet, Esme and Carlisle, but it was a big step forward, especially for Rosalie, who now seemed to be civil with them and to be honest, Hermione thought it would've taken a lot longer than it actually did.

"I wasn't aware that you'd want to know," Hermione frowned. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal!" Rosalie erupted. "You broke her nose. You've done something I've wanted to do since I met her!"

Hermione blinked in surprise. She'd known through Edward that Rosalie hadn't been Bella's biggest fan, but she'd no idea how much Rosalie had truly disliked her.

"Rosalie," Esme scolded softly.

Rosalie took a deep breath, calming herself.

"Well, I'm glad I could do it for you, to be honest, it felt great," Hermione grinned and she saw Rosalie's mouth twitch in amusement.

"You do realise that she'll get Charlie involved, don't you?" Jasper asked.

Hermione grinned in response.

"She knows," Paul spoke. "And she's counting on it."

"Why?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Jacob answered, looking to Hermione with a slightly fearful expression and her mouth tugged at the corners.

"Oh relax, Jacob, I'm not going to punch her in the face again, unless she attacks me first that is. My plans for her are more...Devastating," she smirked.

"Do I want to know what that means?" Jared asked with a raised eyebrow.

" _No_ ," Edward, Jacob and Paul chorused.

"I can't wait to get to school. I want to see if she looks like a raccoon," she grinned and at her words, Rosalie finally burst into laughter.

"You're vindictive," Hermione commented amusedly.

"And you're not?" She replied.

Alice sighed. "Of course, that's what they bond over," her musical voice said and others snorted at her.

"Well, that, and the fact her closet has two floors," Paul added, smirking at Hermione's glare.

"Excuse me?" Alice and Rosalie chorused, their golden eyes snapping to Hermione faster than she could keep up with and the witch sighed.

"Her magical closet, it has _two_ floors _and_ a staircase," he replied amused.

"And we're only just hearing about this now, why?" Alice demanded, a scary look crossing her face.

"So I never had to witness that look on your face," she answered, the other Cullens chuckling in understanding. "I _hate_ shopping," Hermione groaned. "If you knew, you'd never leave my wardrobe."

"Show us, now!" Rosalie demanded with a glare.

"No, I'm aching all over, I feel like I've been hit by a train and I have to get ready for school in ten minutes."

"Fine, then you'll show us later tonight."

Rosalie strode out of the tent, without a backwards glance and without giving time for Hermione to answer. Alice sent her a narrowing of the eyes before she followed Rosalie's example and left.

Hermione sent Paul a glare. "You are in the dog house, Lahote," she promised him, the others snorting at her use of words.

~000~000~000~

Hermione stepped out of Edward's car, slipped on her jacket and hooked her satchel over her shoulder before shutting the car door, as Alice and Jasper climbed out of the car, too. Hermione's eyes searched the car park as they usually did, scanning for possible attackers or hidden, disguised Death Eaters. When her eyes landed on the police car parked beside the beat-up red truck, a smirk pulled at her mouth.

"What are you looking at?" Jasper asked, peering over his shoulder, his own eyes searching their surroundings and once he saw the police car, he turned back to Hermione. "You're not going to kill her, are you?" He asked, partially joking, partially serious.

She snorted. "If only," she joked, before they walked towards the school as a group.

As they neared the entrance, Hermione was well aware of the fact that Principal Greene was stood by the doors, waiting for her along with who she assumed to be Charlie Swan and Bella.

Harold Greene was a middle-aged man, standing at five-foot-ten with a slim build. He had greying-brown hair and deep green eyes, his skin pale and thick eyebrows. She turned her eyes to Charlie Swan, seeing the resemblance between him and Bella. He stood at six foot with chocolate brown eyes, brown curly hair and a thick moustache that looked to be in need of a trim. His skin was almost as pale as Bella's and he stood with his arms by his side, wearing his police uniform with his jacket partially zipped.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Jasper biting his lip and turning his head away as he struggled to contain his laughter, and she had the same problem. Bella wasn't looking in her direction but she could see the two dark bruises under her eyes, and it was obvious she had been to the hospital at some point, too; she had what looked to be a medical bandage of sorts over the bridge of her nose.

"You really _did_ break her nose," Edward muttered as they neared.

"It was only one punch," she rolled her eyes.

"It was one hell of a punch," Jasper smirked.

Hermione's hand reached up to her necklace and she grasped the wolf pendant, sending the signal to her fathers. Hermione had planned ahead as a precaution should Bella follow through on her promise, and so, her fathers would be arriving soon along with Thaddeus, one of the Black family lawyers. Bella had no idea what was coming her way.

"Miss. Black,"

Hermione released a slow breath before fixing a polite, friendly smile on her face. "Good morning, Principle Greene," she greeted as she stepped through the doors and into the school corridor.

"Miss. Black, I need you to come with me to my office," he said, not returning her greeting and his gaze neither polite nor friendly.

Her brow furrowed. "Is there something wrong?" She questioned, a puzzled look crossing her face as she tilted her head slightly.

He peered behind him over his shoulder to where Bella and her father stood, and when he returned to facing her, Bella's mouth tugged into a smirk as she stared at Hermione.

"I need you to come with me to my office, serious allegations have been made against you, allegations that may see you being expelled."

"Oh dear, that is serious," Hermione nodded in agreement and she felt Edward move closer to her, his chest brushing her back whilst Alice and Jasper stepped closer, standing on either side of her, surrounding her like a security detail. "May I ask what I'm being accused of?"

His eyes flickered around the corridor that was filled with students, all of them quietly whispering between one another and watching the scene before them.

"Everything will be explained in the privacy of my office."

Hermione nodded. "It's just as well, I wished to speak to you regarding a delicate matter."

"Which is?" He questioned.

"Since transferring to Forks High, I've found myself to be the victim of bullying," she said quietly, but loud enough that Bella and her father would hear.

"You bitch!" Bella raged, taking a step forward.

"Bella!" Her father barked, grabbing her by the shoulder to prevent her from moving closer to Hermione, his eyes widening slightly at her outburst before he turned his gaze to her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Those are serious allegations, Miss. Black," Principal Greene spoke, his eyes moving nervously between her, Bella and Charlie.

"It's not an allegation, it's the truth," a deep voice spoke from behind them and Hermione twisted to look over her shoulder as her father entered the school along with Remus and Thaddeus in tow.

Hermione had only met Thaddeus a couple of times, but she couldn't deny that in those few, short meetings, he'd certainly made an impression and she liked him. Despite him being completely ruthless when it came to defending the Blacks, he had a sense of humour which she appreciated. He was in his mid-thirties, his features sharp and chiselled, his dark blonde hair neatly combed and his bright blue eyes determined and focused. In her opinion, she thought him to be quite handsome and it was something he used to his advantage. He would charm and dazzle, lulling you into a false sense of security and then he would strike, taking you down in one lethal swoop. He wore what she knew to be an awfully expensive and well-tailored suit, it wouldn't be anything less given what he was paid by her family to represent them and protect them from false claims of women swearing they'd birthed Sirius' lovechild and they were suing for owed child support payments, and unfortunately, it happened more often than you'd think.

Hermione mostly liked Thaddeus because he was a Half-blood and he held no prejudice against Muggleborns nor did he against Remus for having Lycanthropy. He'd been raised in the Muggle World and brought into the Wizarding World at the age of eleven, just like she'd been. After graduating from Hogwarts, he went straight into higher education to become a lawyer, and once he'd earned his magical law degrees, he left the Wizarding World to study to become a muggle lawyer. He understood how the system worked in _both_ worlds and that made him a perfect representative for the Black family. He'd been hired before Hermione's adoption and Sirius having been impressed by him, officially made him the new Black family lawyer, allowing him to hire two more of his choosing, as well as a trainee _and_ a personal assistant. Of course, the six figured wage in muggle currency had been what swayed his decision and pushed him into accepting Sirius' offer.

"And you are?" Charlie Swan asked, eyeing Sirius and his dark clothing, muscled form and sleeve tattoos, then Remus and his cardigan, trousers and shirt, and finally Thaddeus, and his tailored suit and briefcase. All it took was a single glance and his eyes lit in understanding, concern crossing his face. As a member of the police force, Hermione was sure he'd be able to spot a lawyer from a mile away.

"I am Hermione's father, Sirius Black, and this is Remus Lupin."

His eyes fell to Thaddeus, looking as though he hoped his assumptions would be wrong.

"Thaddeus Samson, I am Miss. Black's lawyer," he spoke, his voice surprisingly smooth.

Hermione saw Bella blink in surprise at the sudden turn of events, her gaze darting between Sirius, Remus, Thaddeus and then her.

"I presume you are the father of the girl that's been bullying my daughter, what a coincidence? The day I decide to visit you are here, too, it must be fate," Sirius said innocently and Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing at him.

"I suggest we take this meeting in my office," Principal Greene spoke, looking nervous.

"Great idea, lead the way," Sirius said jovially.

Principal Greene cleared his throat before turning and leaving down the corridor, Bella and her father followed behind him with Charlie shooting them strange looks. Hermione glanced to the Cullens before taking her leave with her own little group of supporters following after her, the students in the halls whispering, their words filling her ears as well as her fathers'.

When they entered Principal Greene's office, it was clear there wasn't going to be enough chairs for everyone present. Bella took one of the chairs behind the principal's desk and her father stood behind her, his hand resting on the back of the chair. Sirius gracefully took the other chair, leaning back and resting his right ankle against his left knee as he clasped his hands settled against his stomach. Hermione stood on his right with Remus taking the mantle behind her whilst Thaddeus stood a little further back and off to the left. Once Principal Greene had taken his seat behind his desk, he shifted uncomfortably, clasped his hands together and rested his arms against the surface of his desk, clearing his throat awkwardly in the tense, silent room.

Sirius kept his gaze on Principal Greene, the older man shifting uncomfortably under his stare and Hermione knew Sirius was enjoying himself and they'd barely started. It seemed as though they were waiting for someone to get the ball rolling and Hermione really didn't want to be out of class any longer than she had to be; she'd already missed several days of school and she couldn't risk falling behind.

"Papa," she started, her voice filling the silence. "Principal Greene said that allegations have been brought against me that may see me being expelled from school,"

"Is that so?" He said lightly but the look in his eyes spoke differently. He was _furious_ and the atmosphere in the room seemed to thicken.

"Yes, but I've not yet been told what they are."

"Principal Greene, what are the allegations?" Sirius questioned, twiddling his thumbs.

He cleared his throat, looking very nervous as he shifted in his seat once more.

"Your daughter had been accused of assault, and it is now a police matter."

Thaddeus snorted from behind Sirius and all eyes turned to him.

"Yes, that tends to happen when the daughter happens to be that of the Chief of Police. That's very unprofessional, possible grounds for dismissal," he said innocently.

Charlie looked stunned by his words, knowing he was a lawyer by appearance but having no idea the kind of lawyer he was. Thaddeus was conniving and fierce, the type of person you would rather have as an ally and not an enemy.

"It wasn't assault, I admit I _did_ hit her, but it wasn't assault," Hermione said.

"So you admit to assaulting my daughter?" Charlie spoke, looking a cross between pleased, unsure and angry.

"No," Hermione said slowly, had he not been listening to what she'd just said? "I hit your daughter, but I did _not_ assault her, it was self-defence. Bella insulted me, she threatened me and then she tried to slap me across the face. My father's a very powerful man, he thought it prudent that I know how to defend myself and I did. If it was assault, it would indicate that I had hit her unprovoked and I'd have been the first to do so. But I didn't and wasn't, she tried to slap me, I hit her _once_ and then I asked her to leave."

"You don't have proof," Bella injected, looking far too pleased with herself. Hermione wanted to smack her. _Again._ And judging by the look on Sirius' face, she didn't think he'd stop her.

"Don't I? I have a witness, Jacob Black," Hermione responded, catching sight of Charlie's eyes widening before he looked down at Bella questioningly. "It's my understanding that Bella and Jacob were once friends, before she fobbed him off, that is," she said. Charlie looked down at his daughter with a frown and Sirius' mouth tugged into a smirk. She was creating doubt in the ranks and he very much approved. "He would have no reason to lie."

"Except for the fact you're sleeping with him!" Bella snapped.

All eyes turned to Hermione, each set conveying a different emotion or reaction. Charlie looked stunned by the revelation, Principal Greene highly uncomfortable as he toyed with the collar of his shirt, Sirius seemed to be amused as he directed a questioningly raised eyebrow at her, Thaddeus seemed to be unphased by the news though she did spy the twitch to his mouth and Remus was livid, a low grow ripping from the back of throat, thankfully, only she and Sirius had been able to hear it.

"I'm not sleeping with Jacob in the sexual sense," she admitted honestly. "But I _am_ his girlfriend and he does often stay the night at my house, sharing my bed. I have _not_ had sex with him," she said, not to defend herself or to quell possible rumours that may be spread around the school about her being a slut, she'd only done so for Remus, to calm the wolf. His rumbling growls stopped, Bella blushed red and both Charlie and Principle Greene looked uncomfortable.

"He'd still lie for you; you've got him wrapped around your finger," Bella argued.

Sirius and Remus both coughed to cover their laughter; due to Jacob's imprinting on her, that statement was actually quite true.

"Jacob's not a liar," Hermione defended, "But seeing as you won't take his word for it, I have video footage." Bella's breathing stopped momentarily, her eyes widening and Charlie whipped his head around so fast, it was a wonder he didn't give himself whiplash. "Bella, were you aware that Billy Black has recently had security cameras installed?" She asked. "Judging by that look on your face, I guess you didn't."

Of course, she was bluffing regarding the security cameras. Similarly to what she'd done with the camera containing evidence of Paul's abuse, Hermione had removed the memories of that day from her mind and infused them onto a DVD. It most certainly hadn't been easy, the simplest part of the process being the actual removal of the memories, but storing them and infusing them had taken hours of spell casting and tweaking, and at one point, she'd had a meltdown and accidentally shattered a vase. She'd never liked it anyway.

"My daughter has told me of the incidents she's had with Miss. Swan during her time here, and it is to my understanding that she has threatened my daughter with Chief Swan, not once but _twice_. And when my daughter came to me and told me what happened on the day the accusations occurred, I deemed it necessary that I have evidence to prove my daughter's innocence. Thaddeus, if you please?" Sirius said, gesturing to the desk with a wave of his hand.

Thaddeus silently stepped forward, placed his briefcase on the desk and opened it, removing a portable DVD player. He set it on the desk for all to see and then pressed play, Hermione watching as Bella's already pale face drained of colour as the screen went from black to show the first image.

The first footage to be shown was of Hermione and Jacob chasing each other on the grounds of his house, laughing joyously and smiling as they did so. She looked to her fathers, seeing their expressions softening as they saw how happy she appeared in that moment. Thaddeus fast-forwarded the footage a little, stopping at the point of Hermione and Jacob being sprawled on the ground and being interrupted by a furious Bella as they kissed. They could clearly see Hermione heading back into the house, leaving Jacob and Bella alone as an argument took place and Jacob stormed away.

Thaddeus fast-forwarded the footage a little more, pausing at the moment Hermione made a reappearance. Whilst nothing could be heard or seen as she and Bella spoke to another, the footage clearly showed Hermione's calm, bored expression and Bella's anger slowly growing. When they reached the part of the footage where Bella's hand came to Hermione's face and she intercepted it, throwing the girl over her shoulder and hitting her in the nose, she saw Sirius squint his eyes and bite at the corner of his lip in an effort to fight off his bubbling laughter. When Hermione stepped back, Bella climbed to her feet and ran to her car, visibly screaming in fury before she drove away. Thaddeus stepped forward, closed the screen with a 'snap' and the room filled with a deadly silence as Charlie looked down at Bella in disappointment, disapproval and surprise.

"Now that matter's been cleared up and we've proved my daughter's innocence, I would like to make a formal complaint. Since my daughter's transference to Forks High, she has been bullied, harassed _and_ tormented by Miss. Swan."


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 4

**Monday 20th November 2006**

"That's a lie!" Bella yelled.

"Are you calling my daughter a liar, Miss. Swan?" Sirius asked dangerously. "You've got guts accusing someone else of being a liar, when you are one yourself. You are a liar and a bully."

"How dare you!" Charlie barked.

Sirius looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, not giving a toss that he stood before him with his uniform and gun strapped to his belt.

"The truth hurts, Chief Swan. Did we not just prove that she lied regarding the assault accusations? Your daughter _is_ a bully. And my daughter has evidence."

All eyes snapped to her and she nodded "It's true, I do. Bella has disliked me from the moment I arrived here as the Cullens befriended me. It wasn't until a few days later, that I learned that Edward Cullen was her ex-boyfriend and it's clear to me why she dislikes me. The Cullens have been nothing but kind to me, particular Edward; he's taken an interest in me and Bella was jealous. Edward and Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale would be able to confirm this. In PE class, she purposely rolled a bottle of water across the floor, if I hadn't of seen it, I would've slipped on it and injured myself. I have an entire class of witnesses, as well as the Coach. She's tried to trip me up in the corridors and she insults me and verbally abuses me whenever we cross paths in the halls."

"That's a lie!" Bella interrupted.

"So you haven't called me a boyfriend stealing whore?" Hermione questioned with an arched eyebrow. The look on Bella's face said it all. "She glares at me in our shared classes as well as at lunchtime in the cafeteria. I believe she once told Edward Cullen, that if I looked at her, she would have her father, the Chief of Police, do something about it."

Bella slouched in her seat, knowing that she wasn't getting out of the situation no matter what she said. The look on her father's face, as well as Hermione's father's, and the addition of a lawyer said it all.

"I've heard her discussing with her friends, Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley, which rumours they could spread to ruin my reputation within the school and my friendship with the Cullens."

"Bella? Is this true?" her father asked.

She shook her head, her eyes downcast and fixed on the floor.

"As Miss. Black's lawyer, I am here to inform you that should appropriate action not be taken, we will be filing a lawsuit against the school, as well as Miss. Swan herself, for causing Miss. Black distress, emotional and verbal abuse, as well as, violating her human right to an education and to a private life, in the form of friendship, family and romantic relationships."

"She's just as a kid!" Charlie argued.

"She's eighteen, is she not?" Thaddeus questioned with a raised eyebrow, his mouth twitching into a smirk when he didn't reply. "Miss. Swan has caused Miss. Black a great amount of distress, to the point of which, she has not wanted to come to school."

Bella glared at Hermione from under her eyelashes.

"What do you wish to happen?" Principal Greene asked, looking to be on the verge of fainting as he tugged at his collar and a thin sheen of sweat appeared above his brow.

"Miss. Black would like a verbal apology in front of the school populace, and she would like Miss. Swan to be disciplined accordingly."

Principal Greene cleared his throat, seeing no way out of the situation but to give them what they wanted.

"Very well, Miss. Swan, you are to be suspended for your behaviour until Monday of next week," he started and Bella interrupted with a gasp of surprised horror. "You will collect your belongings and leave school grounds, and not return until you are allowed to do so. Your class assignments will be collected and sent to you by the end of the day."

"But that's going to go on my record," she argued. "It'll affect my college applications."

"You should've thought of that before you bullied another student, simply for dating your friend and being friends with your ex-boyfriend." Bella slowly blinked in shock at her father who'd spoken. "It could've been worse, you could've been faced with a lawsuit and they're _very_ messy." His eyes darted to Sirius, Remus and Thaddeus. "You've been let off lightly with your suspension, if the roles were reversed, I would've demanded more than an apology and suspension. They've been very merciful towards you."

"I'm glad my daughter is once again safe in her own school," Remus spoke for the first time since arriving at the school.

"Your daughter?" Charlie questioned confused, his eyes flickering between the three of them.

"Yes, Hermione is our adopted daughter, Sirius is my partner."

"What? Are you a homophobe as well as a bully?" Hermione asked lightly, after seeing the surprised expression on Bella's face.

Charlie's eyes snapped down to Bella and he decided to leave before things could be made worse.

"I think we should leave, Bella, let's go."

"I need to text Jake; he can clear all of this..."

"No," he interrupted; holding his hand out expectantly and she looked down at it.

"No cell phone, no TV, no laptop but for school work, you're grounded."

"Grounded!"

"Yes, _grounded_ ," he confirmed, nodding his head in goodbye and then leaving with Bella out of the office.

"Well, I'm glad we've got it all sorted, I would've hated to have to go through with the lawsuit," Sirius spoke in a tone that suggested he would've actually preferred it, but he stood from the chair regardless. "We better let our daughter get back to her education, so we'll be off. I hope we don't have to meet in this way again. Good day," he said, turning and leaving out of the office, along with Hermione, Remus and Thaddeus.

She walked with them down the empty corridors, leading them to the car park as they didn't know their way around the school.

"Thank you for coming, Thaddeus," she spoke.

"Not a problem, Miss. Black, I am aware of your troubles with the Swan girl, I've been mentoring two apprentices and I needed a break. It's a shame we didn't have a chance to go through with the lawsuit, but the look on their faces wasn't a bad consultation prize."

She rolled her eyes at him. "And people say I'm vindictive."

"Are you not?" He cocked his eyebrow, amused. "You did concoct this entire plan to ruin her reputation."

"Not really," she shrugged, readjusting her satchel on her shoulder. "I just wanted her to understand that I'm not the person to mess with. She has a problem with me because I'm dating her friend, who was once in love with her but no more, and her ex-boyfriend is my friend. She's jealous of my relationship with them but _she's_ the one that got the hump and ignored them for three months, only trying to get their attention once they'd taken an interest in me. She _did_ try to injure me in my PE class, she _does_ call me names and she _does_ try to trip me up the corridors, she _does_ glare at me and she _has_ been discussing which rumours she can spread to ruin my reputation. I wasn't lying; if that's not a bully then I don't know what is."

He tipped his head, conceding her point. Once they reached the car park, she said her goodbyes before making her way to her biology lesson. Once she entered the room, the class fell quiet and all eyes were on her.

"Miss. Black, Mr. Cullen explained that you were with Principal Greene?" He said, giving her a look of intrigue.

"Yes, I was."

"Miss. Swan was with you, correct? Will she be arriving?"

"Not until next Monday," she spoke; leaving the room confused as she headed over to Edward and took her seat.

Banners cleared his throat and then continued with his lecture.

"How much did you hear?" She asked him quietly, pulling her things from her satchel.

"All of it. I'm not sure if I should be proud or afraid."

"Both," she shrugged. "She deserved it, she _was_ bullying me, everything I said was the truth and I never spoke a single lie."

"I know," his voice softened, trying to show that he wasn't judging her. "But still, your family lawyer? Really, Hermione?" This time he sounded amused.

"Go big or go home. I was never going to actually hit her with a lawsuit, even if Thaddeus would've loved nothing more. I just wanted to show her that I'm done with her bullshit. I've bigger and more worrying things happening in my life, I don't have time for her."

"Rosalie's going to be jealous."

"Rosalie will be fine," she rolled her eyes.

"She will be when she sees your closet," he smirked and she turned her head, scowling at him deeply.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Monday 20th November 2006**

"I can't believe you got her suspended," Jacob spoke amused.

It was just Jacob and Hermione that night. Edward had gone hunting with Emmet and Jasper, and for that reason, he wouldn't be able to return to the tent until the following morning. Paul wasn't there either, as he was on patrols with Jared and he wasn't due back for at least another hour, maybe longer. But she knew that when he returned, Jacob was to take over patrols with Quil.

Hermione had no idea what time it was but she wasn't tired, so she and Jacob were in their pyjamas and cuddled together in bed. She lay with her head on his chest and an arm thrown over him, whilst he had an arm over her waist and the other twirled a curl between his fingers.

She tipped her head, looking up at him. "To be honest, I hadn't been expecting that part," she admitted. "I was thinking more along the lines of a month of detentions, not a week's suspension. Thaddeus must've put the fear of God in Greene." He snorted at her. "At least now she knows to leave me alone. I don't have time for her pettiness."

"She sent me a hoard of texts," he told her. "Something along the lines of you using sex to steal me away from her and to control me."

She snorted at him. "She's bloody nuts, seriously, that girl needs a psych evaluation. I said I had you as a witness for when she tried to slap me. Apparently, you'd lie for me because I'm sleeping with you. I pointed out that I wasn't sleeping with you in the sexual sense, but that you did spend your nights here, I've never seen anyone that red in the face since the Weasleys," she chuckled.

She tilted her head before pushing herself up onto her elbow so she was looking down at him and she smiled amused, when she saw the very faint blush in his cheeks, being close enough to actually see it.

"Mr. Black, are you blushing?" She teased.

"No," he denied, a little too quickly to be believable.

"Yes, you are. So, tell me, what are you thinking about that's making you blush?" He cleared his throat and his eyes darted about the room, avoiding her gaze. "Come on, Mr. Black, tell me." She moved closer to him, her head hovering above his as she looked down at him. "I've only ever seen you embarrassed about one thing, and that's sex." His eyes flew up to hers. "So, did my words make you think about sex?" She asked. With his gaze holding hers, he nodded shyly. "What, about you having sex with me?" He nodded again, his blush darkening. "That's okay, you know? It's a perfectly normal reaction to have. You may be at your physical peak due to your shape-shifting, but you're still a teenage boy. A _hormonal_ teenage boy. It's perfectly normal for you to have sexual thoughts about your girlfriend."

"It's distracting," he muttered.

"I know it is," she agreed with a nod, being amused at the look on his face. "What? Do you think you're the only one that has sexual thoughts about their partner?" She arched an eyebrow, biting the inside of her cheek when she saw his eyes widen. "Despite everything I have going on in my life, I'm still a teenage girl and I have _three_ incredibly handsome soul bonds. Of course, my mind runs away from me and conjures up sexual thoughts. It's normal, and it's nothing to be embarrassed over."

"Paul doesn't do it," he mumbled.

Hermione burst into laughter. "Are you kidding me? Of course, Paul does it, and he does it all the bloody time. I can tell with only one look what's on his mind. I wake up every morning to his erection pressed against me in some way." His blush was the darkest she'd ever seen it. "He just doesn't get embarrassed about it, and we're going to have to work on your self-confidence. Paul would never let you live it down if he found out we've been having a conversation about sex and you never once tried to put the moves on me."

She settled back down against him, snuggling close and closing her eyes and just when she was on the verge of dozing off, he spoke again.

"Goodnight kiss?"

She chuckled at him before propping herself up on her elbow and looking down at him. She lowered her head and kissed him and just as she was about to pull back, his hand cradled the back of her neck, refusing to let her leave him. He tugged at her t-shirt, she fell on top of him and she shuffled to get more comfortable which led to her straddling him, one of her hands tugging at his hair and the other gripping his t-shirt.

He sat up, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against him and when the need to breathe became too great, he pulled back from her, their chests heaving. He had a slight flush to his cheeks and only a hint of embarrassment when he said,

"What do I do?"

Rather than answering with words, she decided to show him. She placed a chaste kiss to his mouth before moving her lips across his cheek, down to nip at his jaw and down his neck, where she sucked and nibbled at his overly hot skin. A cross between a groan and a growl left him and his hands moved to grip her hips. She moved her mouth closer to his ear, taking his earlobe into her mouth and she sucked before releasing it and blowing over the flesh. Another groan-growl left him and his hands squeezed her hips as she started nibbling at his jaw again.

"Just do what feels right," she whispered against his skin, moving her lips back up his cheek and latching back onto his mouth.

She gave a sound of surprise when she found herself on her back with Jacob hovering over her, he seemed to have hesitated when he heard it so she grabbed his t-shirt and tugged, bringing him closer to her until his body pressed her into the mattress and she wrapped her arms around him. His mouth left hers and he mimicked her previous actions, moving his lips across her cheek and down to her neck and she turned her head to give him better access as he explored the new skin available to him thoroughly.

He found her weak spot, the sensitive skin hidden beneath her ear; it made her breath hitch and a moan fell from her lips. She felt Jacob stiffen above her and he shifted his body weight onto his elbows, and she knew why. All that was separating them was her t-shirt -which she believed belonged to Paul- and her underwear and his pyjama bottoms and underwear. He was likely embarrassed and she didn't want him to be.

She brought her hands up to his face and pulled him back to her mouth, her hands moving down his back and slipping under his t-shirt, her fingers lightly trailing over his hot skin, mapping out the ridges and muscle as he shuddered under her touch. She shifted beneath him and lifted her legs to wrap around his hips, tugging his lower half back down to her, trying to show him that he had nothing to be embarrassed about. She, herself, was getting rather worked up and it was taking all of her self control to not push Jacob too far. She was going to let him decide the pace of their relationship; she wanted him to be comfortable and confident.

He slowly lowered himself back down to her when he understood the meaning of her actions, his own hands began to roam the length of her body, hesitantly slipping underneath her t-shirt and trailing over her sides and stomach. When he brushed the fabric of her bra, he hesitated until she made a noise of encouragement and lightly scratched her nails against his stomach. A growl rumbled from his chest and he reflexively bucked into her, pulling a moan from the back of her throat.

She brought one hand down to cover his and gripped it, giving him a nudge towards her breasts. Gingerly, he brought both hands up to her breasts and squeezed experimentally, Hermione sighing against his mouth and it encouraged him to continue his exploration. Her hands were tugging at his t-shirt incessantly, wishing to have more of his skin to explore and discover, and as quick as a flash, his mouth left hers, his t-shirt was gone and on the ground and his mouth latched onto her neck.

She laughed in surprise. He wasn't embarrassed about his appearance, he was quite confident in his body, it was more that he was self-conscious when it came to sex, likely because she had Paul as a soul bond, too, and for lack of a better term, he'd been a man-whore before she met him. Jacob didn't want her to compare him to Paul, which she could never and would never do. Over time he would learn to be confident in his abilities and himself, and not to worry about being compared to others. She just had to be patient with him.

Her hands greedily explored the new skin that was revealed to her, trailing over his shoulders and back, his chest and abdomen, over the thick muscle that was his figure, like seriously, he didn't have an ounce of fat on him; it was all pure muscle!

He mumbled something against her skin, but she didn't hear it, being too busy focusing her attention on committing his body to her memory.

"What?" She breathed out, tilting her head further back to give him better access.

"Can I?" His voice was muffled by the skin of her neck.

"Can you what?"

He pulled back from her, his eyes darting down to her t-shirt and back up to her eyes questioningly. She gave him a soft smile and then nodded. He pulled back from her and she sat up, pulling her t-shirt over her head and throwing it to the ground. He frowned and her eyes lowered, seeing that his hand had reached out and his fingers were gently tracing her scar.

"What happened?"

"It happened when I was sixteen during the battle at the Department of Mysteries," she told him softly. "I don't know how or why, but I survived, and this is the reminder that I have of that night."

His eyes lifted to hers before falling back down, and rather than landing on her scar, this time they landed on her breasts held in the black and white lace bra, and the black lace underwear. She giggled at his stunned, speechless expression. He gave his head a shake before claiming her mouth and she buried her hands in his hair, pulling him down with her until she was pressed into the mattress by his larger, heavier frame, the hot skin of his stomach heating that of hers.

"What do I do?" He mumbled against her lips.

"What?" She pulled back from him, a puzzled expression crossing her face as she breathed heavily.

"To please you," he mumbled embarrassedly, his cheeks once more filling with a blush. Understanding lit her eyes.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," she responded softly.

"But I want to,"

Her eyes searched his, trying to see if it was really what he wanted or if he in any way felt pressured into it.

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll make you a deal. I'll show you what I like and you'll do the same."

"But you know what you're doing, you're not a virgin," he blurted out, his blush darkening.

"Yes, I've had sex before, but my previous partner isn't you. What appealed to him, may not appeal to you. I knew how to pleasure him because I _learned_ how to. And I'll learn what you like, just as you will me. It's a learning curve for the both of us," she shrugged and he frowned slightly. Her finger reached up and smoothed out his frown. "Don't frown, it makes you look grumpy and now is not a time to be grumpy," she told him, tapping him on the nose with her finger before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Do we have a deal?" He nodded in agreement. "Okay then, don't you ever feel embarrassed around me, I won't judge you, nor will I compare you to anyone, ever!" She informed him and before he could respond, she pulled him back down to her, claiming his mouth, hoping to distract him from his nerves.

His hands roamed her sides and stomach and she caught his hands in hers, giving him a nudge towards her breasts, she practically felt the gratefulness rolling off him as he experimentally squeezed and kneaded the mounds with her own hands alternating between tugging at his hair and running over his body.

When she was beginning to feel agitated with the slickness between her legs and nothing being done about it, she brought her hand up to his, rested it on top of his and laced her fingers through his, slowly dragging his hand down her stomach and when she reached the waistband of her knickers, he pulled back from kissing her, locking his eyes on to hers.

She bit her lip and his eyes were drawn to it, but when she slipped their joined hands into her underwear and skimmed their fingers through her slick folds, the heat radiating off her, his eyes widened and snapped back to her gaze. She both saw and heard him gulp when she did it a few more times, coating his fingers in her arousal and her eyes fluttered shut, her mouth parting at the sensation before she forced herself to look at him.

She found her nub and pushed on his finger, putting pressure on the pleasure bundle and she gasped as her body bucked beneath him. His eyes darkened as did his cheeks and she manipulated his fingers, teaching him how best to pleasure her and he watched her enraptured, never taking his eyes from her and barely blinking.

"Do you think you've got it?" Her voice came out husky.

His lips parted, letting out a puff of breath and he nodded. She pulled her hand away from his and allowed him to take control, whilst her hands flew to his biceps and gripped tightly, and Hermione had to admit, he was a fast learner and she was panting and biting her lips to fight off the moans. Her hand trailed down his body before reaching the waistband of his pyjama bottoms.

"Now it's your turn," she breathed out, offering her hand to him.

"But you know what you're doing," his voice came out lower than usual, even as he continued to experiment with different pressures and speeds on her nub.

"Let's just pretend I don't," she muttered with her eyes closed and she gasped when a pleasurable jolt passed through her.

His free hand took hers and moved to his bottoms, slipping underneath his clothing and she quickly gripped onto the hard length, her small hand barely fitting around his girth. Trying to keep her eyes locked onto his, he manoeuvred her hand with his, building up a rhythm that had him panting.

He pulled his hand away from hers and allowed her to continue on her own, setting her own rhythm and applying pressure in all the right places. It was clear to him she knew _exactly_ what she was doing.

Hermione's body shuddered as another jolt shot through her and it wasn't enough anymore, she needed more.

"Okay, now carefully slip a finger into me," she panted, barely keeping herself from just jumping him and having her wicked way with him. He seemed to hesitate before doing what she told him, she shifted beneath him and he carefully inserted a single digit. She gasped loudly and a moan left her lips. "Just let instinct take over, and when you're comfortable, add another finger," she managed to get out.

Her back arched when he started moving his hand and a lot quicker than she thought he would, he added a second finger. She rocked her hips against him and he watched her enraptured, whilst also trying to remain in control of himself with what she was currently doing to him, but it was difficult and he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself for much longer.

Seeming to understand this, even through her fogged up mind, she whispered a spell and cold, wet lubrication covered her hand, making him groan and shiver as her hand moved unbidden over him. She applied more pressure and she lurched up, taking his earlobe in her mouth. At the change in angle to her body, he hit a place inside of her that made her see stars and she suddenly found herself throwing her head back and moaning loudly as a tidal wave of pleasure ploughed into her, making her dizzy and light-headed.

She gripped him tighter by accident, but that along with the sight she made, brought him to his release and he grunted as he spilt himself into her hand. She collapsed against the mattress and he fell on top of her. They were both breathing heavily with their eyes closed tightly, and they removed their hands from each other and Hermione had them cleaned up with a whispered spell.

"Did you just..."

Her eyes fluttered open to the sight of Jacob staring down at her, his expression was one of awe and adoration.

"I did," she confirmed with a sleepy smile. "And it's because of you," she told him, lifting her head to give him a chaste kiss. "See? This is a learning curve for the both of us; you don't ever have to be embarrassed with me. If there's something you're curious about, or if there's something that interests you and you want to give it a try, then you have to tell me, otherwise, I'll never know."

He leaned down to kiss her again when his phone alerted them to a text.

"This is getting a habit," she grumbled to herself, as he reluctantly climbed off her to retrieve it and he read over the message on the screen.

He released a sigh. "Paul's on his way back," he told her, "I better get to the checkpoint." He looked to her, disappointed that they'd been interrupted at such a time.

She smiled at him softly. "I understand," she assured him.

He gave another sigh before he leaned over to kiss her and then he slipped on his t-shirt and shoes, and disappeared out the door.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Monday 20th November 2006**

It'd only been five minutes since Jacob had left for patrols and Hermione found herself pacing back and forth about her bedroom. Despite Jacob bringing her to orgasm less than twenty minutes ago, she was on edge; she felt frustrated!

The reason being, now that she'd shared that experience with Jacob and she was closer to him than ever before, she could feel her magic pushing her to complete the bond with him, and she wouldn't force him into anything he wasn't comfortable with. Even if he did want to have sex with her, if he wasn't completely comfortable with it, she'd know and she'd wait. But that didn't mean she wasn't having difficulty stopping herself from running after him and jumping him, ravishing him in the middle of the woods where any of his packmates could happen upon them, or even a nomad vampire.

Her magic was on fire, burning in her veins as it flowed through her body to every cell and nerve ending. She had all this energy that she couldn't expel and a throbbing in-between her legs. To put it simply, she was sexually frustrated. That'd been her first orgasm since she'd broken up with her ex-boyfriend, a two years ago. She'd been too preoccupied with surviving than with her sex life, and she hadn't realised just how tense she'd been. She already felt a little lighter after her orgasm, but she wanted more. She _needed_ more.

Grumbling, she paced back and forth, occasionally tugging at her hair whilst taking deep breaths, trying to calm her body's desire.

The sound of her bedroom door opening and closing drew her attention and she stopped on the spot and twisted to look behind her, her eyes landing on Paul as he stood by the door, wearing nothing but his jean shorts and shoes. His expression was dark and lustful, his eyes sweeping over her body heatedly as she'd yet to don her t-shirt, leaving her clad in only her underwear.

It didn't help that he'd be able to pick up on the scents in the room, informing him of what she and Jacob had been up to during his absence. The scent of her arousal would be surrounding him, hell, she could smell it herself and her senses weren't as strong as his.

Her breathing and heartbeat sped up at the way he was looking at her, her chest rising and falling and her own eyes darkening as they locked gazes.

Now, completing the bond with Paul was an entirely different matter. She'd been wanting to seal the bond between them for a while now, and she admitted to herself that she loved him, and if she were being honest, she was pretty sure she'd fallen in love with him _before_ she discovered him to be her soul bond. She had no reservations when it came to Paul; he was confident in his self and his skills, if anything, she was the inexperienced one between them.

She _wanted_ to seal their bond yet every time they came remotely close to it, they were always interrupted. If it wasn't his phone going off to tell him he had a meeting with the pack or he had to head out for patrols, they were interrupted when the others arrived for their training sessions. If it wasn't Hermione's fathers needing her opinion on something or wanting to head out to continue exploring their surroundings, it was Hermione having to do her homework or being alerted that a potion she was brewing needed her attention. They were _always_ interrupted and it was bloody annoying!

But now, she was sexually frustrated and Paul was looking at her as though he wanted to devour her and she wouldn't mind in the least. She wanted to seal the bond between them. She _needed_ to. She wanted to belong to him, to be his completely. And she would be damned if they were interrupted this time.

Quicker than she'd ever moved in her life, she was over the other side of the room, her mouth claimed by his, her arms hooked around his neck, her hands tugging at his hair and her legs wrapped around his waist. He held her against him tightly, his hands alternating between smoothing over her skin and burying themselves in her unruly curls. He brought them over to the bed, toeing off his shoes before laying her down in the centre of the mattress and covering her with his body, his hands moving over her more freely now that he no longer had to support her weight.

She moaned into his mouth as his hands found their way to her breasts, kneading and squeezing, only adding gasoline to the raging fire within her. In response, her hips bucked and the hard length restricted by his jeans rubbed against her covered centre; a gasp fell from her and she repeated the action purposely.

A wolf-like growl rumbled in his chest and he nipped at her lip, moving his hips against hers to create friction that was pleasurable for the both of them. She pulled her mouth from his when she could no longer take the starvation of oxygen and his mouth trailed down to her neck as her hands ran over his arms, back and shoulders. His hands slipped under her and she arched her back, and in the blink of an eye, her bra was gone and on the ground and his mouth moved down her chest, taking a hardened nipple into his mouth whilst his hand paid attention to the other.

He seemed to understand that this was it, that after that night, they would officially be bonded and he didn't mind in the least. In his opinion, it'd been a long time coming, and it hadn't been for a lack of trying either, timing was never on their side. So when her impatient hands slipped down his chest and stomach and came to the waistband of his jeans, he pulled his lower body away from her and her nimble fingers quickly worked at unbuttoning his jeans. He reluctantly pulled back from her, long enough to rid himself of the offending clothing item and he returned, dragging his lips and tongue over her body. He started at her neck, trailing the scar along her throat with his tongue, moving down her body and paying special attention to the large scar on her torso. He scraped his teeth over her hip bones and her hands which had found their way into his hair, tugged hard.

A growl rumbled within his chest and she moaned when his hand slipped beneath her underwear, her body jolting and a gasp falling from her lips when his fingers ran through her slick folds, hearing a growl of approval from Paul. Two fingers suddenly entered her and she whimpered, her hands tugging at his hair and her hips lifting to rock against his hand.

At the action, a thought entered his hazy mind.

"Are you a virgin?"

"No," she breathed out.

A growl of possession ripped from him and he felt conflicted. He was happy to know their first time wouldn't be too painful for her, but furious that someone had taken that part of her for themselves when she was his.

"Don't be getting jealous," she chided. "It was only one guy, I doubt I could even count how many girls you've been with."

At her words, guilt swarmed him. If he could take it all back, to not have slept with those he had, then he would.

He looked up at her, her head was tilted back, her eyes shut and her mouth parted as little pants and mewls left her. Her skin had flushed down to her breasts and her hair surrounded her in a halo of tangled ringlets. She was the most beautiful being he'd ever seen.

He pushed his feelings of guilt and possessiveness aside and placed a kiss to her clothed centre, a gasp falling from her and before she had time to process what'd happened, her underwear had been removed and leaving her completely bare for his gaze. His eyes darkened to black and he breathed in the scent of her arousal deeply, a lustful and pleased growl rumbling from deep within his chest.

She keened and whimpered as his mouth was suddenly on her, his tongue swiping through her folds, circling her nub, dipping into her entrance, his mouth sucking and kissing, his teeth grazing and nipping carefully. All coherent thought left her; she was a writhing, gasping, mumbling mess beneath him. The coil within her was wound so tightly she felt like she'd die from the feeling. Her breathing was laboured, her mouth letting out puffs and pants, trying to take in as much oxygen as possible. Her magic pulsed around her body, through her veins, setting her on fire.

And then stars burst before her, her body shook as the coil within her snapped, a wave of pleasure rippling through her and crashing into her, stealing her breath, even as Paul continued to lap at her, prolonging the pleasure she felt until she sank into the mattress and loosened her hold on his hair.

The bed shifted under his weight, she felt the heat radiating off him and her eyes fluttered open, her gaze locking on Paul as he hovered above her, his expression one of adoration, and his dark eyes lustful and heated. Taking a quick breath, she reached out and grabbed at his shoulders, tugging him down towards her until his body pressed her into the mattress and she plunged her tongue between his lips and into his mouth to tangle with his, tasting herself on his tongue.

Her hands ghosted over his body and as she reached the waistband of his underwear, she slipped her hand beneath and wrapped her small hand around his length, earning a hiss from him. As she moved her hand over him, she mentally took note in the differences between him and Jacob.

Paul was by no means an average-sized man in _any_ part of his anatomy, neither was Jacob for that matter, and she noticed that where Jacob's girth had been thicker, Paul's was longer, but she still suspected it would be a little painful for her after going so long without sex and only being with one man, who admittedly, wasn't as impressive as her wolves.

His hips bucked forward when she squeezed harder, swiping her thumb over the head and lightly trailing her nails along his length, his body shuddering at the contact. His hand reached for hers and he pulled her away from his length whilst he pulled back from their kiss. There was a slight pout on her lips and he leaned down and kissed her chastely before pulling back altogether and quickly removing the only piece of clothing that separated them.

When he covered her body with his and pressed her into the mattress, his hard length nudged at her stomach and his mouth claimed hers in a consuming kiss. Her hand slipped between them, gripping his length and after a few pumps, she shifted beneath him, opening her legs a little more and lifting her hips ready to accept him. She guided him to her centre and his hand wrapped around hers, running the head of his length along her slit before slowly pushing into her.

"Gods," she choked on her gasp as her arms wound around him tightly, his length stretching her in a way she hadn't felt before, it was pained-pleasure.

" _Fuck_!" he muttered against the skin of her neck.

He hadn't expected her to be so tight, but then, he should have. Paul was always careful with those he shared a tumble in the sheets with; they were always experienced, he made sure of it. He didn't want anyone getting attached to him, or even thinking of it, so he made sure he only had sex with those he knew wouldn't, with girls that were known to put out. Some of them had been more experienced than he'd been and that was saying something.

But Hermione, she gripped him tightly, the warm silkiness surrounding him, her walls clenching around him tightly. He took a deep breath and gripped the bedding in his hands, forcing back every part of the wolf that was telling him to claim her as belonging to him; this was something he'd never had to contend with before, and admittedly, it was a little harder to control his strength than usual.

Her hands gripped at his shoulders, her nails biting into his skin and she shuffled beneath him, wriggling her hips. He lifted his face from her neck, looking down at her peaceful-pleasured filled face and when her eyes fluttered open, as if sensing his gaze, the chocolate brown orbs shined brightly in the flickering flames of the candles that floated above in the room. Her eyes came into focus and locked on to his, a smile pulled at her mouth and she brought her hand to rest against his cheek, her thumb brushing over his skin.

"What is it?" She breathed out.

He didn't answer her with words, rather, he lowered his head and captured her mouth in a kiss that had her seeing stars, and he pulled back his hips before thrusting forward with a slow purposeful rhythm that hit every nerve inside of her. Her moans of pleasure were caught in his mouth and she brought her legs up to wrap around his waist, and at the change in the angle of her body, he was able to move deeper. He reached up to pull her hands away from him, lacing their fingers together and pinning them in place above her head, her body stretching out beneath him and she arched her back, pushing her chest against his as his hot skin heated hers.

She could feel the coil forming inside her, tightening and waiting, _wanting_ to snap. She pulled her mouth from him, needing to breathe and he didn't miss a beat, moving his lips over her cheek and down her neck, latching onto the sensitive skin behind her ear. Her head tilted to give him better access and her walls began to flutter around him when he picked up the pace of his thrusts and pulled his head back to look down at her face.

"Look at me," he growl-whispered, his voice thick with lust.

At the sound, her eyes flew open and her gaze locked on his, just as he nudged the special spot inside of her and she saw stars. Her hands tightened around his, squeezing tightly, her head flew back against the pillow, her back arching and she cried out his name as the coil within her snapped, her mind went fuzzy and she fell back into the mattress, only just registering the sounds of Paul's cursing and growling. She was glad she'd had the foresight to place a permanent Silencing Charm on her bedroom door a while back; as long as the door was closed, the Silencing Charm was in effect.

His hands tightened on hers, his hips jerked and he lost his rhythm as he found his end, slowing to a stop, pulling out of her and falling beside her, not wanting to crush his with his heavyweight. Before he'd even hit the mattress he'd pulled her against him, wrapped her up in arms and covered them with the blanket. Hermione's head rested against his chest and it moved with every rise and fall of his heavy breathing, his body temperature seeming a little hotter than normal and they both felt a little sticky as sweat slicked their skin.

A tired, happy sigh left her mouth and a gentle wave of calm, acceptance and fulfilment washed over her, settling over her heart. She smiled as she felt a sense of happiness and love settle over her, but it wasn't her and she knew it; it was coming from Paul.

"Paul?" She said softly in the silence of the room.

"Hmm?" He hummed, pressing a kiss to her forehead and she smiled, listening to his slowing heartbeat.

"We're bonded now," she said and she felt him smile against her forehead as he pressed another kiss to her skin.

"Been a long time coming," he mumbled and she giggled, knowing it was true.

"Can you feel it?"

"I feel...Happy and..." He answered, his words trailing off in confusion.

"That's me, now that we're bonded, we'll be more aware of what the other is feeling. We may not feel _exactly_ what the other is feeling, but we'll be for a lack of a better term, in tune with each other, in body, mind and soul," she tilted her head, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw. "It's more of a six-sense, a ghost of a feeling, like it's in the back of your mind. And if either of us is in danger, we'll know," she explained. He didn't reply with words, but he did hold her against him tighter. "I have something to tell you."

"Hmm?" He hummed again, sounding as if he were drifting off to sleep.

"I love you."

She felt his hold on her slacken and his body stiffened and she pulled herself up onto her elbow and gazed down at him. He seemed to have frozen in shock; she frowned as she waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention and he slowly blinked before his eyes came back to focus and his gaze locked on hers, hope, fear, love, so many emotions flickering through his dark brown orbs.

She smiled at him softly, placing a hand against his cheek so he wouldn't be able to look away from her. "I love you," she repeated, her voice dripping with sincerity. "And do you know what? I've loved you for a while; I loved you long before I discovered I was your imprint or that you were my soul bond. I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you the night you came to me, the night of our first kiss."

"You love me?" He muttered quietly, so quietly it'd been a whisper and she'd barely heard it. A regular human would've never been able to pick up on it.

He both looked and sounded vulnerable and it broke her heart seeing him that way. Paul was always confident in himself and this was the first time he'd shown her otherwise. It was probably the first time he'd even heard those words before; his mother had died when he was only six-years-old, he may have been too young to remember her saying those words.

"I do, I love you, very much," she smiled, lowering her head to kiss him softly, pulling back to see him watching her intensely.

"I... I... I love you," he breathed out and her smile widened at his words.

"I know you do," she told him softly. "You don't have to say the words for me to know you love me. I can see it in the way you look at me as if I'm the only girl in the world, in _your_ world. I can feel it in the way you hold me in your sleep, gently, yet tightly and refusing to let me go. I hear it in your voice when you're calming me down from a nightmare or you're teasing me. I can see it in the way you worry for my health and safety during our training sessions. You're there for me and you always have been, and it's one of the reasons I love you."

She leaned down and kissed him again but he wouldn't allow her to pull back, tangling his hands into her bushy hair and keeping her to him, as his tongue invaded her mouth. She sighed into the kiss and he moved his hands to tug at her hips, pulling her on top of him and wrapping his arms around her to keep her pressed against him.

He sat up and shuffled to the edge of the bed, standing up with her wrapped around him and heading to the bathroom, where they showered and 'bonded' once more. When they left the bathroom some time later, Hermione feeling boneless and exhausted and Paul more loved, cared for and understood than he ever had in his life, Hermione dressed in some clean underwear and another of Paul's t-shirts -which has was more than happy with- and he settled on just his underwear. With a wave of her wand, she changed the bedding and they fell into bed in a tangle of limbs, Hermione soon drifting into the land of slumber with a smile on her face and Paul, not being tired, was content to quietly watch her as she slept peacefully.

She loved him.

He loved her.

Finally, his life made sense. Finally, he had purpose. Finally, someone had broken through his barriers and helped him to heal, helped him to feel emotions he never had before. Emotions other than anger and hatred. He may love Hermione due to the imprinting, but honestly, he'd been falling for her since the day she so effortlessly threw his comment back in his face at the diner, presenting a challenge no one had before.

She was his first love and his only love.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Tuesday 21st November 2006**

The moment Jacob entered through the door and into Hermione's bedroom, he knew something had happened; he could smell it, it was thick and heavy in the room, overwhelming to his senses.

His eyes darted around the room until they landed on Hermione and Paul in bed, Hermione being asleep and held tightly by Paul –and wearing a different t-shirt than before- and Paul was watching her with an expression Jacob could only describe as _loving_.

He'd never before seen that in his life!

"What happened?"

Paul's attention snapped to him, looking as though he hadn’t even realised he'd been stood there, which was true, he hadn't. Jacob closed the door behind him and folded his arms over his chest, an angry, suspicious look on his face.

"What happened?" He demanded, being mindful to keep his voice quiet so he wouldn't wake the sleeping witch. "You may as well tell me, I'll only see it through the mind link."

Paul's eyes fell back down to Hermione and a soft expression and smile crossed his face. "We're bonded."

Jacob's arms fell down by his sides and his eyes widened, looking over them with narrowed, searching eyes.

"You're bonded?" He growled, his nose flaring, his hands clenching into fists.

"We're bonded," he repeated.

"That means that you..."

"It does, and you need to calm down," Paul warned, his eyes cutting to him before moving back to Hermione's sleeping face. "You know she needs all three of us in her life, she told me you understood your bond with her as well as mine and Cullen's. We're all going to seal the bond at some point, it just so happens we did it tonight. And I know for a fact the two of you had been up to something whilst I was patrolling, I could _smell_ it when I got back," Paul said and Jacob's cheeks darkened in response. "Whatever you did, thanks," he chuckled, smirking at Jacob when he blinked at him in surprise. "She literally _pounced_ on me when I walked through the door, and because of it, our bond's sealed."

Jacob gritted his teeth before closing his eyes, taking a moment for himself and he released a tired, defeated sigh.

"And now?" He questioned.

Paul's eyes fell down to Hermione, watching her lovingly. "She's happy; I can kind of feel it."

"What?"

"The sealed bond between us allows for us to sense what the other is feeling, we're in tune in our minds, bodies and souls. If either of us is in danger and in need of help, we'll know. It's... it's an amazing feeling. It's like I can feel her, like she's with me all the time, in the back of my mind, a ghost of a touch..."

"You're not telling me something, I can tell."

Paul sighed. "She said she loves me," he admitted quietly.

Jacob's face fell before he shrugged his shoulders. "I know, any idiot could see that she loved you," he muttered before heading to the bathroom, leaving Paul staring after him in surprise.

~000~000~000~

Everyone could see there was a change in Hermione and Paul's behaviour towards each other, they could _feel_ it; the aura surrounding them was different. Jacob knew what it was, as did Edward through Jacob and Paul's thoughts, and it had taken Hermione throwing an _Incendio_ at him to get him to calm down, much to the amusement of everyone else.

Sirius and Remus had sensed it, too, Sirius' mouth twitching and Remus growling with his eyes flashing amber, which is when Sirius had wrestled him out of the room and warned him against returning until he'd gotten control of his wolf.

Things had been a little tense between Hermione and Edward during school that day; he was the perfect definition of a broody teenage boy; he only spoke when answering questions and even then it was no more than a few words, but despite his clear bad mood, he hadn't allowed anyone but himself to sit beside her and he refused to have Alice or Jasper sitting next to her in the cafeteria. In fact, since learning of her and Paul completing the bond, he seemed to be more possessive of her, but Hermione couldn't allow it to bother her, she'd been walking through the corridors with a big smile on her face and a bounce in her step all day, much to the amusement of Jasper and Alice. They knew something had happened to cause Edward to act the way he was, but they didn't pry, just observed.

And when the end of the school day arrived, the bell ringing to signal their right to leave, she apparated straight into the cover of the trees at The Reserve's school, banished her satchel home and she stepped out of the trees and made her way to the car park as students milled about, chattered and headed to their cars. She'd barely made it halfway across the car park when she found herself being grabbed by the hips and pulled back into an overly hot muscled chest, and arms wrapped around her tightly. In any other circumstance, she would've panicked, screamed, lashed out or pulled her wand, but in this case, she found herself relaxing into the hold as a kiss was placed to her cheek and Paul's scent of outdoors, soap and pine surrounded her.

"Hi," she said, turning around in his hold to face him and he grinned down at her. "And _why_ are you so happy, Mr. Lahote?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You see, Miss. Black, I've recently sealed a lifetime bond with my beautiful girlfriend, and she loves me."

"Well, I do suppose that is reason to be happy," she nodded with a serious look on her face. "And your girlfriend is a _very_ lucky girl; it's not difficult to fall for you."

He smiled down at her and her serious expression dropped as she laughed lightly.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He muttered.

"I've been asking myself the same about you," she replied, a smile tugging at her mouth as she tilted her head slightly.

His expression softened and she reached up, standing on her tiptoes, looping her arms around his neck and kissing him lightly on the mouth.

"I love you," she whispered in a promise.

He released a small puff of air, a sigh. "I love you," he replied and her smile was blinding.

He claimed her mouth in a kiss that made her dizzy and had liquid heat pooling south, and he chuckled against her lips before pulling back, an amused and lustful look held in his dark eyes.

"Do we have time?" He asked her, dipping his head to rest against her shoulder, turning his head to nip at her neck. She sighed, the fabric of his t-shirt bunching in her fisted hands.

She bit her lip, trying to concentrate but it was hard when his mouth moved to the weak spot behind her ear.

"Yes, my fathers said they were going to Port Angeles for the day and wouldn't be back until training."

"Good, I have plans for you."

"Is that so?" She questioned breathlessly, biting her lip to stop a moan from leaving her mouth.

"Hmm, it involves that comfortable bed of yours and you naked."

She laughed breathlessly and remembered where they were when a group of students walked past them wolf-whistling. He pulled back from her, his eyes had already started to darken and she took a deep breath to centre herself.

"Let's go then," she told him and his answering grin was sinful. "Turn around,"

"Why?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"These shoes are killing my feet and I want a piggyback."

He laughed at her before turning around and bending his knees, and she grinned, placed her hands on his shoulders and then jumped. He caught her easily as she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a kiss to his cheek as he rose to full height.

"So, this is what the world looks like from up here," she mused.

"Cute," he rolled his eyes and she laughed at him.

He readjusted his hold on her before crossing towards the trees, and as they passed the pack, Hermione said,

"I'm not making dinner tonight, boys, but I'll see you at training," she told them, snorting when they made sounds of disappointment.

She locked gazes with Jacob's and with the look she held in her eyes, he knew she wanted to talk to him later. He nodded in both understanding and agreement and she smiled before blowing a kiss in their direction.

"What's happened?" Quil asked with a frown after witnessing the jealous expression on Jacob's face, as he watched Paul and Hermione disappear into the cover of the trees.

He turned to the rest of the pack, who all wished for answers to his question, but Jacob replied with a simple, "Nothing,"

"You're lying," Embry commented, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Paul's been very un-Paul like today; he hasn't stopped smiling, he hasn't glared at anyone, he hasn't threatened to break someone's nose, he apologised when someone walked into him, _and_ he was even polite to Principal Burke when we passed him this morning. Something has _definitely_ happened."

"You may as well tell us, we'll only find out through the mind link anyway. Something's changed, we can see it, hell, we can _feel_ it," Jared pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against Jacob's car.

Jacob grumbled under his breath unintelligibly before muttering, "They've completed the bond."

"What d’you mean?" He frowned. "I thought it was complete."

"No," he shook his head. "We belong to her through the imprint, but she doesn't yet belong to us, her magical bond with us isn't complete. Paul's was sealed last night," he said, his nose flaring and his hands clenching into fists.

"And _how_ do you seal the bond?" He raised an eyebrow.

The look on Jacob's face said it all and they all shifted on their feet in response, not because they were embarrassed or uncomfortable, which they were, but they all saw Hermione as a sister and friend, a member of the pack, their Alpha Female, and they didn't want to think of Hermione in that particular scenario, especially with a packmate.

"So, they had sex," Jared spoke with a grimace but giving his shoulders a shrug. "You understand your relationship with her better than I do, but it's my understanding that she needs you, Paul and Cullen equally, meaning you're going to have to work together and get along. There's no point in getting jealous."

Jacob scowled; all of his discussions with Hermione coming back to him as they swarmed his mind and he sighed, his hands unclenching and coming up to rub at his temples.

"She told him she loves him," he admitted with a mutter.

"You're forgetting they met and spent time together _before_ you came into the picture and imprinted on her," Embry piped up. "I'd be surprised if she _didn't_ fall for Paul first."

"She said she'll love me in the future, it's guaranteed."

"So why are you worrying and getting jealous?" Quil asked, looking at him as if he were stupid.

"I don't know, I'm still coming to terms with the fact I have to share my imprint with a packmate _and_ a vampire," he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, I suggest you get over it quickly, I'd hate to think what Hermione would do to you if you end up in an argument with Cullen. She's set him on fire _twice_ now, I wonder what she'd do to you," Jared smirked and a look of fear passed over Jacob's face, laughter erupting from the others.

~000~000~000~

"Let's go for a walk," Hermione said to Jacob before he'd even properly set foot in the tent.

He eyed her, noticing that she'd already changed into her training attire and he nodded in agreement. She kissed Paul on the cheek as she walked past him at the breakfast bar, leaving him to finish his dinner by himself, and he followed her out of the tent as they began walking through the woods in silence and he placed his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

"Why are you upset?" She asked suddenly.

"I'm not upset," he denied quickly.

"Don't lie to me," she pinned him with a terrifying glare and he faltered in his steps. " _Why_ are you upset?" She repeated.

He shrugged his shoulders uselessly. "I don't know; you completed the bond with Paul."

She released a sigh, her hand pushing her hair back from her face and she rubbed at her eyes. "You're mad that I had sex with him?" She stated knowingly and he shrugged once more. "I thought we'd been over this, I need all three of you and that means I'll be having sex with all of you at some point."

"You love him," he stated.

She made a sound of annoyance. "Yes, I love him, and I have for a while. I've also wanted to seal the bond between us for a while but we were always interrupted by one thing or another. Last night was the first time we've been successful."

"You had sex with him after what happened between us," he grumbled.

She stopped in her steps, halting in place and she turned to face him when he automatically stopped beside her.

"I couldn't help it," she told him, looking apologetic. "After our time together, my magic was pushing me to complete our bond," she admitted and his eyes widened in surprise. "It took all of my self-control not to run after you and pounce on you, so we could complete the bond."

"So why didn't you?" His asked, his voice taking on a deeper, huskier tone that surprised her.

"I didn't want to pressure you or make you uncomfortable. I know you're not comfortable talking about sex, and until you are, I won't be having sex with you," she replied. He must've frowned as she reached up and smoothed the wrinkle out with her fingers. "Despite what we had done, I was sexually frustrated. And then Paul was there; I love him and I wanted to seal our bond, who knew when we would next be given the chance? And so, I took the opportunity when it presented itself. I don't want you to be upset or angry but this is a part of our relationship, I have _three_ boyfriends and I _am_ going to be intimate with all of you. We need to work past this jealously, there's nothing I can do to help you on that front, maybe you should sit down and talk to Edward and Paul and work out your frustrations, but I swear, if any fists go flying, I will _not_ be happy."

She suddenly released a tired sigh and sat herself down on the ground, uncaring if it was cold and damp, or that twigs and leaves were currently making it uncomfortable. She rubbed at her temples and from the corner of her eyes, she saw him sit down on the ground next to her.

"I'm not going to pretend I understand how you're feeling, if the roles were reversed and I was forced to share you with another two girls, I'll admit, I wouldn't like it, but I would like to think I'd do my best to get along with them for you. I don't think there's anything else I can do for you, I spend time with you individually and as a group, I treat you all equally, you share my bloody bed, you've met my parents and I've met yours. We even share the same surname, which I thought would've made you happy, seeing as people will automatically assume we're related in some capacity, and if we were anywhere else in the world, people would assume we're married as we don't look anything like each other or share familial traits. Those in La Push think I'm dating Paul and those in Forks think I'm dating you. "

Possessiveness flashed through his eyes when she mentioned marriage, but she hadn't seen it, she'd been looking at the ground.

"There is one thing you can do," he said, breaking the silence that had settled over them after he'd taken some time to process her words.

"And that is?" She lifted her head, her eyes locking on his.

"As soon as you realise you love me, you tell me and you don't leave me waiting."

She launched herself at him, and at his surprise of the sudden movement, he sprawled on his back on the ground. Hermione followed him, climbing over him and straddling him, her hands moving to his hair and despite his surprise he recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her to keep her close to him and his tongue met hers when her mouth pressed to his, her tongue entering his parted lips. She pulled back from him when she was breathless and his eyes opened, instantly getting trapped in her gaze.

"Jacob, you don't ever have to worry about me not loving you. As I've told you before, it's guaranteed that I will love you, but the time it takes for me to feel that way is uncertain. But what I will tell you is that after spending all of this time together recently, allowing me to get to know you for who you are, seeing your quirks, your weaknesses and your strengths, seeing who you are as a person and what makes you the person you are... I don't yet love you, but, I have already begun to fall for you," she said softly.

His eyes widened and his breathing halted for a moment. She laughed lightly, placing another kiss to his lips.

"Let's go, the others should be arriving shortly."

She climbed off him and rose to her feet, helping to pull him up before they walked back to the tent, hand in hand and in silence; they'd said everything they needed to say. They reached the wards of the tent, just as the Cullens arrived and she knew instantly something was wrong; they all held worried expressions and the atmosphere surrounding them was tense.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, knowing that something was definitely wrong.

"We'll explain inside but we have a situation on our hands," Carlisle spoke.

Hermione turned her attention to Jasper, who looked to be in a world of his own as Alice watched him worriedly. Hermione left Jacob's side and approached him, reaching up to touch his shoulder and pulling his attention. When his golden eyes snapped to her, she felt dread fill her.

"It has something to do with Seattle, doesn't it?"

He nodded silently.

"Then let's get inside and discuss this."

When they entered the tent, the pack were already convened in the living room and Sirius and Remus had returned from their trip to Port Angeles, currently sitting amongst the shape-shifters and discussing Merlin knows what. Upon their entrance, all eyes turned to them as they seemed to notice the tense atmosphere.

"What happened?" Remus asked worriedly, being able to smell the anxiety.

They took their seats, Paul pulling Hermione to sit on his lap, her back to his chest and his arms wrapped around her. There were no teasing comments as there usually would've been as everyone was staring at the Cullens silently and expectantly.

"Alice had a vision," Carlisle explained, and all eyes turned to her worried expression before turning back to him. "The leader of the newborn army was seen passing around articles of clothing to the newborns for scent identification."

"And?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.

"We believe they're Bella's, Alice recognised one of the shirts as she bought it for her. They're coming."

"When?" Sam demanded.

"Sunday,"


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Tuesday 21st November 2006**

"Sunday!" A chorus of surprised voices called.

"Sunday," Carlisle confirmed with a slight nod.

The room plunged into silence, everyone glancing to each other in surprise whilst Hermione shared a look with her fathers and they nodded as one, having made a decision without words having to be spoken.

"Alright then, we need to prepare and we only have five days at best. Jasper?" She called softly, seeing that he was in a world of his own, likely reliving his memories and she knew that feeling all too well. His attention snapped to her and she gave him a look of understanding. "You're the expert, what would you like us to do?"

He shifted in his seat and frowned thoughtfully, his eyes falling downcast. She'd never seen him so quiet and that worried her.

"It's only a few vampires, we don't need to prepare," Sam scoffed.

The eyes of every vampire and magical practitioner present darted to him as one and he leaned back into his seat in surprise and under the weight of their gazes.

"It is just a few vampires, right?" Jared questioned slowly, sharing a glance with Paul after seeing their reactions.

"No, I am unsure of how many there are, by we're definitely into double digits," Alice answered, and they blinked slowly, taking a moment to process the news before they each sat taller.

"And we're not just dealing with vampires," Hermione said. "We're dealing with _newborns_."

"What's the difference?" Quil asked, frowning in confusion.

"Everything," she replied and that one word put them on edge, Hermione feeling Paul's arms tightening around her protectively. "Newborns only have one thing on their mind, blood. Nothing else matters and they'll take down anything and everything in their way to get it, including each other. They have no control. They are stronger. They are faster. They are violent and vicious. Hearing the word "blood" is all it takes to trigger their hunger and if they catch the scent of blood..." She trailed off, allowing them to come to their own conclusions and she turned her eyes back to Jasper, who was watching her carefully and she smiled softly. "What would you like us to do?"

He closed his eyes, taking a moment to gather himself and when he straightened his posture, and his eyelids fluttered open, his eyes darkened as did his expression, the aura around him became darker...Crueller, and she knew a part of 'The Major' had come through.

"We train, no one here knows how to handle a newborn and you're right, we need to be prepared. I'll handle the physical training, can you handle the theory-based learning? You have better resources than I do."

She nodded, nibbling at her lip thoughtfully and he darted a glance over her shoulder to the bookcases. "I have several books that may prove to be useful. I'll scour my library and put together an information pack for everyone to read over, I can have it done by tomorrow night."

He nodded, seeming pleased. "Have you fought newborns before?"

Hermione shared a look with her fathers and they all nodded.

"We have, unfortunately, come across them and seen the damage they are capable of," Remus answered. "There were several present at the Final Battle and it took five of us to take out just one of them, and we lost another three in the process."

Hermione looked down at the ground, as did Sirius and Remus as memories surfaced. And Paul still with his arms wrapped around her, squeezed her gently and pressed a kiss to her cheek, Hermione being grateful for his touch and presence in that moment.

"We may have come across them before but our knowledge of them in battle is not as extensive as yours, so we'll take our cues from you. We'll cancel our training sessions until this is dealt with," Hermione spoke.

Jasper nodded in both thanks and agreement. "Then let's go, newborn training starts now. We'll need more space, there's a clearing a few miles from here. It's deep within the woods so there shouldn't be any humans nearby."

"We can place Muggle Repellent wards around the area for safety," Sirius offered and Jasper nodded.

"Can you make your own way to the clearing, or will you need one of us to escort you?"

"Sirius and I can shift and follow you with the rest of the pack, it's Remus that won't be able to keep up with us. Although, once we arrive he'll be able to track our positioning and apparate straight to us," Hermione said and her fathers nodded in agreement to the plan. "If you all leave now, I'll go with Edward to Swan's house and I can place the Anti-vampire wards around the property and we'll meet you there once I'm finished. It shouldn't take too long given the small area that needs to be covered."

"That'd be tremendously helpful, thank you," Carlisle said and she smiled at him.

They all stood from the couches, the vampires leaving out of the tent along with the pack and Sirius whilst Remus stayed behind until Sirius sent him the signal. Hermione kissed Paul and Jacob on the cheek before she turned her attention to Edward, who was glaring in their direction, even after they left for the clearing.

"How long will it take you to get to Swan's house?" She asked him. He turned his eyes to her and although he was still clearly in a mood, his face softened slightly.

"Five minutes or so," he answered.

She held her hand out to him expectantly and he looked down at it in confusion. "I can have us there in the blink of an eye, the only problem being, I've never been there before and I don't have a mental image that I can conjure up to focus on."

"So you have to have been to the destination and seen it?"

"Yes, or be able to picture it in my mind, this can be from a photograph or from memory from someone else," she shrugged.

"You want to read my mind," he stated knowingly.

"Not necessarily, if you focus on Swan's house and only her house, I won't even have to invade your mind, so I won't see anything you don't want me to. You won't even know I'm doing it. Of course, I'm not going to force you into anything you aren't comfortable with."

"The idea of someone being able to read and see my thoughts, when it's my gift, is..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"Strange, I know," she said softly. He sighed before nodding, giving her his permission and she smiled at him before raising her wand. "Legilimens," she whispered with her eyes locked on his golden ones, and barely seconds later, her wand dropped. "Done," she told him.

He frowned. "That was it?"

"That was it," she confirmed.

"But I didn't even know you were doing it."

"It took me a second to find the image of the house and then I retreated from your mind, I have everything I need." She held her hand out and he took it, his ice-cold skin heating beneath her warm touch. "I'm not entirely sure how this is going to affect you, seeing as I've never apparated with a vampire before. Just remain calm and we'll get there in one piece."

Before he could comment on her last words, she spun on her heel.

~000~000~000~

They landed within the cluster of trees nearby Swan's house; Hermione on her feet perfectly fine, Edward, however, was as still as a statue.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, her free hand coming up to rub his arm in a comforting gesture.

"Yeah, that was..." He trailed off.

"Like you're being squeezed through a tube that's too small?" She offered. "I know, I promise you get used to it, Paul and Jacob have," she smiled. "So, how do you want to handle this?"

His brow pulled into a thoughtful frown before he sighed. "We should tell her. Not about you, of course, but about the newborn army that's coming. We need to warn her so she can be careful."

"We may actually need her,"

"What?" He asked, looking as though he believed he had misheard her.

"We'll need her. The wards I'm going to place around the house will keep vampires out but it won't stop them from coming for her. They have her scent now and they'll stop at nothing to get to her, they're coming here, to Forks, where there's innocent people."

His eyes widened slightly, the impact of her words washing over him. "They'll kill everyone, Forks is a small town but there's too many people to protect and too few of us to do it."

"Exactly, so to prevent that from happening, we can lure them into a trap. We already have the advantage of the newborns not knowing of the existence of the pack, nor myself and my fathers. If we lure them to a place we know, such as the clearing we're going to be training at, no one will get hurt. Jasper said it's miles away from humans. It's the best option we have, and if we have her, they'll follow her scent straight to us."

He sighed. "I thought that after you'd gotten her suspended, we wouldn't have to deal with her anymore."

She smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "Once this newborn army is dealt with, I'll alter her memories; she'll remember everything that happened between the two of you as well as me, but she won't remember that you and your family are vampires, nor will she remember the pack's secret or everything that happened over the last couple of years, including what's about to transpire. As far as she's concerned, you're just a normal teenage boy she dated and later broke up with before her jealousy of me surfaced."

"She won't remember anything?" He questioned hopefully.

"She won't remember anything," she repeated, reaching up to press a kiss to his cheek. "Now, before we go and inform Miss. Clueless..." He snorted at her. "We need to talk," she said and he frowned. "We're going to have a mature conversation, I'm sure we can handle it, you're over a century in age and I've always been more mature than my peers." He scowled, knowing what she wished to speak about. "Edward, you can't act the way you have been. I thought you understood our bond, I thought you understood that I need _all_ of you."

"I do, it doesn't mean I like it though," he said, rather childishly in fact.

"I don't understand what you're going through but I'll tell you what I told Jacob and if the roles were reversed, I know I wouldn't like having to share you with two other women, but I would like to think that I'd do my best to get along with them for you," she said softly and his eyes fell downcast, shamefully. "Are Jacob and Paul really that bad? Do you truly hate them?"

"No," he admitted. "They're more tolerable since meeting you."

"Can you please just try to get along with them?" She pleaded. "I get it, you don't like each other, but even Rosalie's trying her best, she hasn't thrown an insult around in days, though she has been a little jittery lately, she's probably going through withdrawal," she mused and he chuckled, shaking his head and turning his eyes back to her. "To be blunt, Paul and I have had sex." Edward shifted his body weight slightly. "But you know that already, as does Jacob, neither of you took the news well. And now my bond with Paul is complete, as a result, I'm able to get a feel on his emotions and if he needs help, I'll know, and the same in reverse. I'm not going to lie to you, my relationship with Jacob is progressing and yes, my magic is pushing for me to complete the bond with him, but I won't, not yet, no matter how much I would like to."

"Why not?" He asked curiously.

"Jacob's not comfortable talking about sex which means he's still not confident in himself and he still gets embarrassed when the subject's brought up, so, I'm waiting until he's comfortable. Now, you're a whole different kind of problem," she said dryly.

He body stiffened beside her. "No. It can't happen. It won't," he shook his head.

"Why not?" She arched an eyebrow. "We've been over this, you can't hurt me."

"Physically I can," he argued.

"I do have magic and potions, remember? They'll reduce the risk of any injury that may occur. And if we don't complete the bond, I, well..."

"Well, what?" He demanded, seeing the worried expression that flittered across her face.

"Even though I'll have Jacob and Paul, without our complete bond my magic will suffer. It'll be unpredictable and uncontrollable. I'll be dangerous. I won't ever be happy or complete. There'd be a part of me missing, third of my heart, a third of my soul," she confessed and he blinked in surprise. "We'll have to complete the bond eventually Edward," she said gently. "To be honest with you, my magic's pushing me to do so."

"I'm sorry?" He questioned, a stunned expression on his face.

She couldn't help herself, she giggled at him and his facial expression softened at the sound and his cold heart all but melted.

"My magic's pushing me to complete our bond, it's not yet as strong as Jacob's but it's not far behind either. My magic can sense your hesitation in our relationship and that in turn affects my magic's response to you. That's the only reason the longing isn't as strong as Jacob's. Not because of me and what I want, but because of _you_."

"Hermione, I..."

"I know," she nodded in understanding. "You don't want to hurt me, but you do want me?"

"Of course I do, you're my mate!" He rushed out; horrified that she'd even needed to ask such a question.

Maybe he should've made her worth to him clearer. Maybe he should've been more affectionate with her. Maybe he should've stopped distancing himself from her, because he realised, it _was_ him. _He_ was the one that was hesitant in their relationship. She often reached out to him, told hold his hand or she would brush against him as they walked in the corridors and he would flinch away from her, sometimes gingerly taking her hand in his, and other times ignoring it.

She had so much confidence in him. So much faith. So much hope. She believed in him and she cared for him, and that he knew; Jasper didn't need to confirm it, even if he had.

He needed to change. He'd been waiting for his Rosalie, for his Alice and his Esme for so long and now that he'd found her, he was all but pushing her away. He vowed that he would be more affectionate, that he wouldn't shy away from her touch, he wouldn't be hesitant and he wouldn't worry. And, he would work on getting along with Black and Lahote. He would do it for her because she deserved it, and him not making an effort in their relationship was unforgivable to him.

"Then believe me when I say the completion of our bond _is_ possible, but only if you allow it to be," she said and he reluctantly nodded. "Good, I've finally gotten through to you. You not only have impenetrable skin but a thick skull, too." He laughed at her and a smile pulled at her face. "Hug?"

He sighed, reaching out for her and she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around him and his arms wrapped around her in return, holding her to him gently and his chin resting atop her head.

"Hermione, you don't ever have to ask," he said gently and he felt her smile against him.

She released a soft sigh when his cold lips brushed against her forehead, and a cold hand came to her chin, gently tilting her head back, her chocolate orbs locking with his golden ones.

"I'm sorry," he apologised quietly.

"Sorry? What for?" She frowned, bemused.

"For being distant with you, for not trying."

"I understand,"

"But you shouldn't have to," he protested. "I'm going to try harder to get along with everyone. I'm going to try harder to reign in my jealousy. And, I'm not going to be distant with you anymore," he promised, his eyes falling to her mouth and her tongue darted out to swipe at her lip without even realising she'd done it.

"Edward, I'm not going to force you into anything you aren't com..."

Her words were silenced when he ducked his head and captured her mouth in a kiss.

She'd expected him to pull away after the first touch of their lips like he usually did, but this time, he didn't. He slowly and cautiously moved his lips against hers and she was surprised by his actions but she wasn't going to complain. He truly wasn't going to distance himself from her anymore. He would worry and she knew he would, but he was beginning to let go of his fears of hurting her.

Her hands moved from around his back to wrap around his neck and she rose up onto her tiptoes as his hold on her tightened. She knew she had to be careful and as much as she wanted to deepen the kiss and explore his mouth with her tongue, she knew she couldn't for if the venom in his teeth were to get into her bloodstream, well, it wasn't hard to figure out what would happen. Instead, she settled for nipping at his lip and she gasped when she found herself being pushed up against a tree. He drew back from her instantly, looking at worriedly.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No," she shook her head, pulling him back to her and her hands fisted into his hair, tugging on the strands.

A surprised groan tore from him and she smiled, pulling back from him so she could regain her breathing. He was looking down at her adoringly, his bright golden eyes glowing in the darkness.

"I wholeheartedly agree with your decision to no longer distance yourself."

He laughed at her, the deep, rich sound washing over her and she pressed her forehead to his chest for a moment before lifting her eyes, smiling at seeing him smiling. He was so serious that in the rare times he did smile, she couldn't help take a moment to observe it.

"I suppose we better do what we came here for," she sighed and his smile dropped, being replaced by a scowl. "I know, I know, if we're quick we can get back to the others and discuss the plan for Sunday. You should be the one to tell Swan, she won't let me anywhere near her. Whilst you're talking to her, I'll start on the wards for her house. They won't affect you whilst you're inside but once you step off the property, you won't be able to enter again. Okay?"

He nodded, but he still didn't look pleased with the idea that _he_ had to be the one that had to speak with her, and Hermione's mouth tugged into an amused smile before she pecked him lightly on the mouth and his smile soon returned.

"Off you go, I need to map out the perimeter and set the markers so I can ground the magic into the earth."

"I'm going to pretend I know what that means and leave," he responded and she laughed at him.

Together they walked to the edge of the trees, the Swan Residence coming into view and Edward gestured to it, despite her knowing which house it was. It was just a regular house with a hideous red truck sat on the drive; she couldn't help feeling smug that her magical _tent_ was much nicer.

"I better get this over with," he grumbled grumpily and he released her hand, stepped out of the trees and walked to the front door, wrapping his knuckles against the door.

"Hey, Edward," she called softly, knowing he would hear.

He turned to look at her over his shoulder, even as the kitchen light was switched on and footsteps were heard approaching the door, and she knew that only Bella was home, her father had yet to return as his car wasn't there.

"I'm falling in love with you."

His answering smile was dazzling.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 5

**Tuesday 21st November 2006**

"Did Alice just kick Jasper's arse?" Hermione questioned, blinking in surprise as she and Edward arrived at the clearing where the pack and the Cullens were currently learning how to defeat newborns, and Alice had effectively pinned Jasper to the ground.

The pack stood around, either leaning against trees or sat on the floor watching amused, as did the Cullens and her fathers.

"Yeah, she's not as fragile as she looks," he commented.

"Well obviously, she _is_ a vampire no matter how small she is. It just means she's more agile than the rest of you."

"And terrifying, don't let that sweet demeanour fool you," Edward warned.

She snorted. "Please, I've seen the look on her face when she sees new clothes, I'm well aware of how terrifying she can be," she shivered and he chuckled at her. "How's training going?" She called, continuing with her approach towards the gathered group of vampires, shape-shifters and wizarding folk.

"We've made some good headway since you've been gone," Jasper answered, climbing to his feet and brushing down his clothing.

"Have you protected the Swan house with your magic?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, it's all done, no vampire will be able to enter the property, include yourselves. Edward's spoken to her and told her of what's happening," she informed them and noises of surprise filled her ears as the wolves and Cullens seemed to have disagreed with what they'd done. "Oh, honestly, think about it," she said and the quieted down allowing her to explain. "Newborns will stop at nothing to get what they want, which is blood, Bella's in particular. And now they have her scent they'll follow it straight to her house and although they can't enter, it doesn't mean that she's completely safe, especially if she leaves the house and they kill her the moment she does." Understanding dawned on them as they all exchanged glances, realising she was right. "She needed to know so she can be careful, and Edward and I have come up with a plan."

"What plan?" Jasper frowned slightly whilst also looking intrigued.

"Think about it, they have her scent and it'll lead them straight to her. She lives in the middle of a small town which is filled with...?"

"People," several voices whispered.

"Humans, yes. Forks is a small town but even we can't protect the population, so we need to draw them to us, to here."

"And how do we do that?" Jacob frowned in thought.

"We need bait," Sirius spoke, catching on to Hermione's plan. "Brilliant, well done, Snowflake," he praised and she smiled at him.

"Bait?" Sam echoed.

"Bait," Hermione confirmed. "And in this case, the bait would be Bella."

"You want to bring a human into this?" He narrowed his eyes distrustfully.

"Well, I want to use her as bait but I don't want her to actually be here at the time of the battle. Before the army arrives, Bella will be brought here and to confuse the army and lure them to us and away from the town, we'll have to spread her scent around, meaning she's going to have to do a bit of hiking through the woods for at least a couple of miles. When that's done, she obviously can't return to her home as they'll just track her there, so she'll have to stay somewhere safe and with a guard because she's likely to be found given the numbers that are heading our way and it's better to be cautious."

"In your vision, did you see the time of day?" Remus asked Alice thoughtfully.

"No," Alice shook her head. "But given the lighting, it was either early morning or late afternoon."

"We'll have to camp out then," he mused, "So we're prepared when they _do_ arrive."

"I'm not moving the tent, it'll take too long to remove the wards and pack it up," Hermione said.

"All we need is a few sleeping bags, magic will keep us safe from the elements," Sirius shrugged his shoulders and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, is everyone in agreement with the plan?" She asked, and although some of them looked reluctant, everyone nodded.

~000~000~000~

**Saturday 25th November 2006**

"What's she doing here?" Bella glared as she stepped out of the car with a foul-tempered Edward since he'd been nominated to collect Bella from her house and bring her to the clearing. It had been a unanimous decision and Hermione almost felt sorry for him, but the truth of the matter was, she was just glad it hadn't been her that had been thrown under the bus.

It had taken Hermione working a bit of her charm but since Billy was in the know, he'd convinced Charlie to go fishing with him for the weekend and leaving Bella alone for the next couple of days, so not only would there be no chance of him getting hurt should their plan fail, but he would never be the wiser about the situation his daughter had gotten herself into.

"Hello to you, too, Swan, lovely to see your suspension hasn't changed you," Hermione commented flippantly, much to the amusement of the others and her fathers in particular. Bella glared in response but Hermione didn't acknowledge her any further, instead, she turned to face the others. "How do you want to do this?" She asked the group, but they didn't have the chance to respond as Bella interrupted.

"Why are you here? I know you're human, them too?" She gestured to the pack, the expression on her face conveying that she knew something Hermione didn't, and in response, Hermione rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, several sniggers ringing out at her reaction.

"I know about the pack of wolves the boys turn into and I know about the Cullens being vampires, and I figured it out myself, I didn't need spoon-feeding like some people did," Hermione replied. Again, more sniggers sounded at her words and Bella looked to be both outraged by her comment and surprised that she knew the truth. "I know of the situation that's surrounding us and believe me, the Cullens are not the only vampires I've come into contact with. I may be human, but I assure you, I am so much more than that, which is why you should believe me when I say you got off lightly with your petty behaviour. Now stop interrupting and let the adults speak," she glared at Bella and turned back to the others who were watching her amused.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, how do you want to do this? We need to spread her scent around for at least a few miles and afterwards, we need to get her somewhere safe and we need to make sure her scent can't be followed. Looking at her, there's not a chance in hell she can hike through the woods for half a mile, let alone several... Oh, do shut up," Hermione said, sensing that Bella was about to object, and she snapped her mouth shut to the smirks of the others present. "I swear, I'm on the verge of knocking her out," Hermione muttered lowly so that everyone but Bella would hear and their lips twitched in amusement.

"We don't want to give away your secret," Paul reminded softly.

"It doesn't matter anyway, I'm wiping her memories of the Cullens and the pack after this mess is sorted," she muttered, still their conversation was spoken quietly so Bella wouldn't hear, and she appeared to be confused with a frown on her face as she could see their lips moving, but she couldn't hear them speaking to one another.

"The wolves' scent should mask Bella's, it'll confuse the newborns and they'll follow it here and not to the safe location. You'll have to be in physical contact, and seeing as she can't walk through the woods, she'll have to be carried," Jasper said.

"So, which of you lovely wolves is going to carry Bella through the woods for several miles?" Hermione asked, looking to each of them with a raised eyebrow.

The wolves looked between each other before they all collectively looked at Jacob and he didn't look pleased by their decision.

"I don't want to," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're the strongest of the pack," Sam shrugged, "And she's _your_ best friend."

"Was, she _was_ my best friend, not anymore," he corrected with a scowl.

Bella made a sound of horror at his words but everyone ignored her, too amused by Jacob's petulance. Hermione closed the distance between them and he automatically unfolded his arms and pulled her into him when she was close enough and she stood on her tiptoes and he hunched over slightly.

"I know this is something that you don't want to do but we all have to do things in life that are unfair and unwanted, but they are necessary. This is necessary for her survival, whether we like her as a person or not, she's still human and she needs protecting," she told him softly. "The pack seems to think you're the only one that's capable of this task, and so you take it with a pinch of salt and you do it. If you hurry, you'll back be back in a couple of hours. I'm heading home to make dinner and I'll return later with the food and supplies."

"I still don't like it," he muttered.

"Neither do I, but we must do everything we can to succeed in the battle that is to come. We can learn everything we can and we can prepare, but that doesn't mean we're going to succeed. We need to be careful and we need to take every precaution we can. There's going to be injuries, of that I'm sure, but Bella won't survive if they find her. We get through this weekend and then I'll wipe her memories and she'll never bother you or us again. Alright?"

"Okay," he sighed.

"Thank you," she said softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek and she could practically feel the daggers Bella was throwing at her gaze.

"Do you want me to go now?"

"Please, my fathers have purchased a muggle tent; we're going to apparate to the chosen site and set it up along with a few alert wards in case we get any surprise visitors. I'm going home to make dinner whilst everyone stays here and continues with training and I'll return with the food and once we've eaten, I'll knock Bella out long enough to transport her to the tent, without her seeing my magic."

He nodded and she reached up to kiss his cheek once more before pulling back from him.

"Let's go," he muttered, gesturing for Bella to follow him as he turned and headed towards the trees.

Bella sent Hermione a smug look but she responded with a calm, bored expression.

"Jake, they said you have to carry me," Bella said.

Jacob halted in his walking and turned around, his eyes locking on Hermione's questioning, pleadingly, and she nodded softly.

"Your scent will confuse them but it shouldn't mask hers too much so they can't track it and let's be honest, she can't walk that far," Hermione confirmed.

He growled in annoyance and roughly pushed his hand through his hair before storming over to Bella, sweeping her up into his arms and then walking off, leaving the chuckles in the background.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 6

**Saturday 25th November 2006**

It had long since grown dark, a fire had been lit and the pack and Cullens were gathered around it, talking amicably and joking between one another whilst the humans ate their dinner. Despite what was to happen the next day, the atmosphere was light and relaxed.

"He does _not_ look happy," Jared commented, gesturing towards the trees with a nod of his head.

At his words, Hermione turned her head in that direction, seeing Jacob emerging from the cover of the trees and Jared was right, he definitely didn't look happy. He had a deep scowl on his face, his body looked tense as he clenched his hands by his sides and his whole demeanour gave off the impression of a brooding teenage boy, in fact, he was giving Edward a run for his money. Bella was behind him, finding it difficult to keep up with his long strides, and when Hermione stood and approached, meeting him halfway, Bella smirked in her direction, Hermione paying it no mind.

"Don't ever leave me alone with her again," Jacob muttered, his entire body relaxing the moment he pulled her against him, wrapping her up in his arms.

"Promise," she whispered, reaching up to press a kiss to his cheek. He sighed before pulling back from her, taking her hand in his and tugging her towards the trees and away from the others. "Where are we going? Your dinner's ready," she said confused.

"It can wait a minute," he told her, surprising her. In the time she had known him, he had _never_ turned down food.

"But..."

"No, I need to talk to you without them listening in," he gestured behind them with a wave of his hand and Hermione turned to look over her shoulder, seeing the amused looks that followed their movements.

Once they past Bella, Jacob pierced her with glare, Bella scowled and Hermione simply raised an eyebrow, being confused as to what exactly had happened to put Jacob in such a bad mood. When they reached the cover of the trees, Hermione cast a Silencing Charm around them to prevent over-sensitive ears from listening in to their conversation.

"So, what did you want to talk to me abo..."

She didn't have the chance to finish her sentence as Jacob ducked his head and captured her lips in a kiss and she found herself being pushed up against a tree. She stood on her tiptoes and brought her hands to his hair and his held onto her hips above her coat. Admittedly, it was a lot colder during the evening than it was during the day, and so Hermione and her fathers both wore winter coats with a Heating Charm over the top, whereas the cold didn't affect the Cullens, nor the pack so they were shirtless as usual. She was actually a little jealous.

When she felt herself being lifted off the ground, the only thing she could do was wrap her legs around his hips to keep balance and she was pressed further into the tree behind her and neither she nor Jacob had to be uncomfortable due to their height difference. He drew back from her, his mouth releasing hers as they both breathed heavily, trying to steady their breathing pattern.

"About?" She finished lamely and he chuckled at her.

"I didn't want to talk, I needed you. I was on the verge of phasing and I knew you were the only one that would be able to calm me."

"What'd she say to you?" She asked, running her hands through his hair softly, her nails scratching at his scalp.

He growled in his chest and his reaction only cemented her suspicions that it had been something insulting towards her.

"She spent the last three hours trying to convince me to break up with you, that she was the one I wanted to be with and I was only using you to make her jealous. She accused you of using sex to control me."

Hermione snorted. "I see she's still as delusional as ever."

"It's not funny, Hermione, since I had to carry her, she kept touching me and it made my skin crawl," he shivered. "It didn't feel right, I felt like I was betraying you by allowing her to touch me, by allowing her to even be that close to me."

She smiled at him softly, bringing her hands away from his hair to rest against his chest, her fingers tickling his hot skin.

"My Silly Wolf," she said gently with a shake of her head. "You could never betray me and I wouldn't think of you any differently. I know how you feel about her and I know how you feel about me. I know what I mean to you and hopefully, you know what you mean to me, too?" He nodded at her and she smiled at him in response. "I would never let something as trivial as Bella Swan get in-between us. Once this is over, she'll be gone from our lives and we won't have to deal with her anymore."

"I can't wait for tomorrow to be over and done with."

"It will be soon," she promised him, lifting a hand to rub her thumb over his cheek and she smiled when he turned his head and placed a kiss to her palm.

"You are My Wolf and you always will be," she said softly. "Just as I am yours." He smiled at her words, a truly breathtaking smile. "Out of curiosity, why haven't you told Bella that I'm your imprint?"

"I don't see the point, it's not going to stop her trying to change my mind about you, if anything it'll make it worse as she'll say the only reason I'm with you is out of obligation to my imprinting on you."

"I don't suppose it matters, she won't remember anything soon enough. Now, let's get you your dinner."

"What'd you make?"

"Your favourite," she told him.

"Chicken?"

"No, your _other_ favourite."

"Curry?"

"No, your _other_ favourite," she replied with an amused smile.

"Shepherd's Pie?"

"Shepherd's Pie," she confirmed and she laughed at his pleased expression. "So, shall we get you fed?"

"In a minute," he replied, leaning forward to kiss her until she was breathless and clutching at his shoulders and his hands were either buried in her hair, the strands tangling around his fingers, or gripping at her jean-clad thigh.

"You're going to be the death of me," she breathed out when he pulled back from her and he chuckled, rather pleased with himself when he saw her flushed skin, messy hair and swollen lips, and it wouldn't be difficult for anyone to surmise what they'd been up to during their 'talk'.

"Let's go, I made sure to keep some food aside for you, but you and I both know what the pack's like and I haven't told them I've made dessert, so your portion of food is fair game."

"What is it?" He perked up and he let her back down on the ground, taking her hand and walking back to the others.

"Paul's favourite."

"Apple pie?"

"No, his _other_ favourite."

"Chocolate cake?"

"No, his _other_ favourite," she said amused.

"Brownies?"

"Brownies," she confirmed with a smile. "And I also made chocolate chip cookies, too."

He sighed. "You're a gift from God."

"Not quite," she chuckled.

"Did I hear brownies?" Paul piped up as they neared them.

"You did," Hermione confirmed, laughing at the adoring expression that crossed his face.

She and Jacob sat around the fire and she handed him a plate of dinner, noting Bella glaring at her as it was obvious by her appearance what she'd been up to with Jacob.

"Has she eaten?" Hermione asked the others rather than directly asking Bella.

"No, she refused to until Jacob returned," Jared answered, his tone surprisingly neutral and void of emotion. That wasn't the Jared she knew.

Hermione gave Bella a much smaller portion than she would the pack for obvious reasons and Bella stared at it dumbly as Hermione held it out to her.

"You either eat it or you starve, honestly I don't care which option you chose, but I suggest you eat and you eat it quickly, otherwise one of the boys will."

"I'll have it," several voices chorused and Hermione shook her head at them as they glared at one another, non-verbally challenging each other to the food.

Bella reluctantly took the plate from her, picked up the fork and nudged at the food before taking a small bite.

"I've had better, it could use more salt," she said cruelly.

"I see your intelligence hasn't improved," Paul commented and the others sniggered. "There's nothing wrong with Hermione's cooking, stop being a bitch and eat the damn thing or I will, I've never turned down Hermione's food, neither has anyone else for that matter."

Bella stared at Paul in surprise for his words and he sent a wink in Hermione's direction and her mouth twitched into a smile. Thankfully, Bella remained quiet for the rest of the evening, observing as the Cullens and pack all but ignored her presence and interacted with each other, talking and teasing, though some were more at ease than others.

When it came time for the humans to get some sleep, Hermione offered Bella a drink of hot chocolate which she took reluctantly and the moment she took a sip, she passed out on the ground.

"Is she dead?" Rosalie asked, a hopeful glint to her eyes.

"No, just asleep," Hermione answered and Rosalie appeared disappointed, causing several snorts to be heard. "She won't be out for long, maybe ten minutes. I'll apparate her to the tent, but she'll need a guard."

"I'll do it," Seth offered.

"Are you sure? She's not exactly pleasant to be around."

"I don't mind, besides, she's not going to try it on with me like she would Jacob, and she's not going to be hostile towards me like she would with the others."

"Alright," she agreed, standing up and making her way over to Bella and she took her by the wrist and Seth walked over to her, taking her by the hand.

"Brace yourself," Paul warned with a twitch of his lip.

"Why?" Seth frowned in confusion. "It can't be that..."

~000~000~000~

"Bad," Seth groaned, doubling over with his hands on his knees and taking deep breaths and Hermione rubbed his back comfortingly as he focused on not losing his dinner. "It _is_ that bad," he complained.

"I know, it's awful, it'll pass in a minute," she soothed and he groaned once more.

Once his stomach finally settled, he took a breath and rose to his full height. "I don't envy either of them for having to travel with you," he told her and she chuckled.

"You get used to it, after a few times it doesn't affect you, though side-along has always been more taxing than apparating on your own," she smiled before turning around and levitating Bella off the snow-covered ground and into the small muggle tent that was big enough for just a say two people.

The lantern was hanging at the entrance and the tent floor was covered in blankets and sleeping bags, as well as Heating Charms, having been cast in and around the tent so Bella wouldn't freeze to death during the night. There were plenty enough blankets to keep her warm and comfy. Once Hermione lowered Bella onto the blankets, she left before she woke and zipped the tent closed, later digging into her pocket and removing her beaded bag, of which she removed a small paper bag filled with chocolate and candy, as well some of the cookies she'd baked from inside, and she handed them over to the beaming Seth.

"Don't tell anyone, I won't hear the end of it and they'll accuse me of favouritism and cry for weeks," she told him before she reached up and kissed his cheek.

As she stepped back from him with her wand in hand, she spun on her heel and apparated away from the mountain and back down to the clearing below. The wolves had already phased into their wolf forms and most of them were already asleep, a few of them surrounding her fathers to protect them from the cold night, even if they were in sleeping bags warmed with Heating Charms, and she felt her heart swell in gratitude and love for her pack.

She easily caught sight of her wolves, the russet-coloured fur of Jacob and the dark silver of Paul and she crossed over to them, smiling when she saw a sleeping bag had been placed in the small space in-between them. Hermione quickly removed her coat knowing that her wolves would protect her from the cold night and she snuggled down into the sleeping bag.

Her wolves shifted closer to her, surrounding her in their warmth and their soft fur pressed against her. She shifted, lifting her head to rest against the soft fur of Paul, using him as a comfortable pillow and she smiled as her eyes closed, her two wolves purring as she ran her hands through their fur. And soon she fell asleep, waiting to be woken once the army was sensed in being nearby.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 5

**Sunday 26th November 2006**

"WHAT THE HELL, JAKE!"

Hermione sprang up with her wand in her hand, a wild look of fear in her eyes and her breathing heavy as she surveyed her surroundings. When she saw Bella currently stood before her, glaring down at her and the two wolves that had also been startled from sleep, she quickly lowered her wand before Bella had the chance to notice it.

Hermione ran her hand over her face and took a deep breath and feeling a cold nose brush her hand, she lowered it and saw the worried eyes of Jacob, paying no mind to Bella's presence.

"I'm fine, she just startled me, she's lucky she's still standing, to be honest with you," she said quietly, bringing her hand up to the wolf's cheek and she leaned forward and kissed his nose, a puff of air leaving the large wolf in an imitation of a sigh.

A second nose brushed her cheek and she turned her head to see Paul's worried eyes and she smiled at him before kissing his nose, too, and he released a puff of air and then turned his eyes to Bella, glaring at her for obviously disturbing them from their peaceful sleep.

"What'd you think you're doing?"

Hermione turned her eyes to Bella but she didn't bother getting up from her place in-between her wolves, rather, she leaned against Paul's body and Jacob laid his head in her lap, watching Bella carefully.

Since Bella was currently in front of her, it had been her to wake them rather than the Cullens, and giving the sky showing it being later than early morning, she quickly summarised that the newborn army had yet to arrive, meaning they wouldn't be there until later in the afternoon and they had more time to train.

Her eyes darted around the clearing, spotting the Cullens being dotted around the area, some of the pack in their human forms and the others still as their wolves and obviously they had been woken by Bella, too, given they were sending rather hateful looks in her direction. She couldn't see her fathers but one of them must've retrieved Seth and Bella from the mountain -without Bella knowing, of course- as it was the only way she could be standing in front of her, and since they weren't there it meant they'd gone for breakfast.

There was no immediate danger and although she was now wide awake, she was comfortable and didn't want to move, so she ran her hands through her wolves' fur and they purred in content and she made herself comfortable.

"Is there any particular reason you're stood there gaping like an idiot?" Hermione asked, staring up at Bella with a cocked eyebrow.

Bella's hands were clenched by her sides and her pale face was starting to redden. Hermione was more than aware of the amused sniggers, snorts and grunts surrounding them.

"Quickly, spit it out before you explode." Bella opened her mouth and shut it several times. "Oh, get a grip," Hermione finally snapped, unable to take Bella's behaviour any longer. "I seriously don't understand your problem. You've hated me from the moment you saw Edward speaking to me and even more so when you discovered that both he and Jacob were no longer moping over you. You've left Edward alone but only because you know there's a better chance of vampirism being cured than there is of him letting you back into his life. Jacob's made it perfectly clear that he no longer wishes to remain friends with you and he's been rather polite about it. Now I'm telling you," her bored expression suddenly turned serious. "He doesn't wish to remain friends and the way he felt about you in the past, is exactly that, in the past."

Bella turned her eyes to the russet wolf and he nodded his large head in confirmation before turning his head into Hermione's stomach, hiding his gaze from her.

"Who he dates is none of your concern and you have no right or reason to be jealous over him sleeping next to his girlfriend. And trust me, Swan, getting you suspended is the least I'm capable of, should you continue to push my buttons, any chance you have of getting into college will be nonexistent."

"That's not possible," Bella sneered back.

A cruel smirk crept onto her lips, making Bella take the smallest step back in surprise.

"For me, it is, my father's a very important man, we technically have diplomatic immunity and some very powerful connections, particularly since our family donates funds to quite a few colleges around the world, including several in the US."

"I don't believe you."

"You should, Black is a fairly common name, but I am Lady Hermione Black, and my father is Lord Sirius Black. You may not have heard of us but many have and I'm sure you're smart enough to know that given our titles, we are aristocrats in Europe, the second wealthiest family, in fact. We prefer to keep ourselves away from the news and papers, and so there are no known photos of us which is why I'm able to attend a public school and reside in a small town without anyone knowing who I am. If you continue to push me, eventually I'm going to snap and you'll face the full wrath of the House of Black, and this time, I won't need a lawyer, as I said, I have diplomatic immunity."

Bella's red face suddenly paled.

"So you understand, lovely, now please move to the left, you're obstructing my view of the beautiful scenery."

Applause rang out but she ignored it as Bella stared down at her before finally admitting defeat and she stormed away from them but stayed in sight, knowing it was dangerous for her to go missing.

"Beautifully done, Snowflake," the amused voice of Sirius came from the right and she turned her head, seeing him holding in his laughter, as he and Remus -who had a proud smile on his face- approached them, carrying several bags of food in their hands.

"Thank you, was it too much? I feel it was too much."

"Not enough, in my opinion, you should've punched her in the face again."

"Rosalie!" Esme scolded but Rosalie didn't bother looking guilty for her comment and the pack didn't bother hiding their laughter.

"She's right," Sirius shrugged.

He sat himself down on the ground and those that hadn't yet phased back went into the trees to do so before returning and sitting down by them, not so patiently waiting for breakfast to be dished out.

"I think you held back, you could've shown a little more of the Black temper that we're known for."

"I wanted to warn her, not kill her," she replied and he chuckled.

"Anyway, we got food," he said, digging into the bags and pulling out the trays of breakfast foods.

Hermione eyed it warily. "You didn't make it, did you?" She questioned, to the sounds of Remus' laughter, everyone else's snorts and Sirius' glare.

~000~000~000~

The day had passed in a flurry of training and preparing for the battle that was almost upon them. Hermione and her fathers had mainly been spectators along with the pack and Bella -who kept her distance but her eyes on Hermione- since they didn't wish to use magic in front of her.

Although Hermione would be wiping her mind afterwards, it would be a lot easier if she didn't have to also wipe the existence of magic from her memories, too, as it was already going to be difficult wiping the existence of vampires and shape-shifters since Bella had been around them for over a year, which made the resistance her mind would construct a lot more difficult to break, so she wished to save herself the trouble of having to remove more than she had to.

After lunch had been eaten, everyone got themselves ready and into their positions, and before Hermione could put Bella to sleep and apparate her to the mountain, Paul pulled Hermione into the cover of the trees, out of sight of everyone.

"Are you okay?" She asked, staring up at him with her big brown eyes.

"Please be careful," he told her, worry shining in his dark eyes and her face softened.

"I always am to the best of my ability," she promised him. "You don't have to worry about me, I may not be as strong or fast as you, but my magic more than makes up for it. Where you have to tear apart vampires, I only have to whisper a single word to set them on fire. My fathers and I will be out of sight and we'll remain under Disillusionment Charms so we're almost impossible to see to the untrained eye. If anything it'll be our scent that gives us away, especially now that I've completed my transformation, which I also have to fall back on now in case anything should happen. I'm going to be fine, it's you that needs to be careful."

"This isn't my first time going against a vampire," he gave her a lopsided grin.

"I know that, but this is your first time in a battle, and it's your first time going against newborns. Jasper's been pushing everyone hard for a reason and I've made you all read through that information I gathered several times for a reason, it'll all be clear once you've faced them. I'm going to watch out for you all where I can but I can't be everywhere at once. So, please don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I won't, I hope Jacob got this speech as well," he said amused.

"He did," she confirmed and he chuckled at her.

"I'll be careful," he promised, pulling her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around him in return, his steady heartbeat helping to set her at ease.

"I swear, if you get injured, I won't be responsible for my actions."

He chuckled. "I'm almost tempted to get hurt, just to see what you'd do; you're terrifying when you want to be."

"That's the famous Black temper for you."

"I've heard your temper's famous all on its own, Black or not." She pinched his side and he laughed at her. "I'm only messing with you, I love your temper."

"You'd be the first; everyone else is scared of me."

"Oh, I'm scared of you, too," he admitted and she laughed at him, pulling her head back to look up at him.

"I can't wait for this to be over, then all I have to worry about is being found by Death Eaters."

"When they come, we'll be ready and you'll be untouchable, we have an advantage. They don't know about the Cullens or the pack. And with you teaching us about your world, they don't stand a chance," he said. She smiled at him sadly. "We won't let anything hurt you."

"I know you won't." She sighed tiredly. "We better get back to the others; the army will be here soon."

"In a minute, but first..."

He ducked his head and captured her mouth in a kiss, she rose up onto her tiptoes, her arms snaking around his neck and hands burying in his hair and he pulled her flush against him, his tongue entering through her parted lips to meet with hers.

They were so lost in each other, they didn't notice Bella stepping out from behind a tree with a cruel smile on her face.

"Got ya," she whispered with a smirk.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 5

**Sunday 26th November 2006**

"JAKE! JAKE!"

Jacob halted in his steps and turned around with a scowl on his face.

"What'd you want, Bella, I'm busy?"

She stopped in front of him, panting since she'd been running to try and catch up with his long strides.

"I need to talk to you."

"I'm busy," he repeated.

"Please, it's important," she all but begged.

Jacob eyed her warily, did she want to apologise for her behaviour? Had it finally sunk in that he didn't want anything to do her anymore? His eyes searched his surroundings, not seeing Hermione or Paul so they were either busy preparing along with the others, or they'd snuck off somewhere for a little privacy, knowing she'd already done that with him and Edward earlier in the day.

"Fine, but you better make it quick, I have other things that need my attention." He turned around and continued with his approach towards the tree line.

"You mean your _girlfriend_?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

"I know where she is."

Jacob halted once more, turning around to face her, not liking the tone Bella had used nor the sweet smile that crossed her face.

"What'd you want?" He asked warily.

She approached him slowly. "She doesn't care about you as much as you think. She doesn't love you, not the way I do," she before him, lifting her hand to place it against his chest, but as soon as she touched his skin, he jumped back from her as if her touch burned him.

He narrowed his eyes. "You don't know what you're talking about."

She smiled at him, as if she knew something he didn't. "I do, she's just using you. Using sex to control you, and I don't know why, maybe it's to make me jealous, she seems to be threatened by me, why else would she get me suspended, making up lies about me? I caught her, you know?" Jacob frowned in confusion. "I caught her hiding in the woods with her tongue down Paul's throat."

She'd expected Jacob to erupt in fury, to curse and yell, maybe even phase, but much to her surprise, his frown disappeared and was replaced by an arched eyebrow.

"Your point is?"

"She's cheating on you!" She stepped forward, closer to him. "She's got you blinded. She's doesn't love you. She doesn't want you, but I do."

Before Jacob had even seen it coming, she jumped forward and latched herself onto him, pressing her lips against his.

He froze in complete surprise before quickly pushing her off him, hard enough that she stumbled backwards and almost fell over. His body began to shake, he clenched his hands by his side and he tensed every muscle in his body, whilst thinking of Hermione, hoping it would calm him but it wasn't working and he knew it.

A hand suddenly touched his shoulder and his eyes flew open, locking onto Hermione's chocolate orbs. She kept him trapped in her gaze and he could feel some of the tension leave his body but it wasn't enough to pull him back from phasing.

She seemed to realise this and she smiled at him softly before stepping closer to him, reaching up onto her tiptoes and pressing her mouth to his. His body ceased in its shaking and he released a sigh, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him. He lifted her off her feet and she hooked her legs over his hips, wrapping her arms around his neck and snaking her hands into his hair as he supported her weight with his arms crossed and settled beneath her arse, holding her up. They heard the angry huffs of Bella and the chuckles of Paul, and when she needed oxygen, she pulled back from him, seeing the loving gaze in his eyes but also the guilt.

"You didn't betray me," she whispered. "I not only heard, but I saw, too, and you did nothing wrong, so please don't feel as though you did," she tried to assure him.

He breathed out slowly and nodded his head and she smiled at him, pressing another chaste kiss to his mouth before she was set back down on her feet. The smile was instantly wiped from her face when she turned around, coming face to face with Bella, and she pulled her wand but held it behind her back. She no longer cared that it would make things difficult for her when it came to wiping her mind; she needed Bella to understand that she was _not_ the person to mess with.

"May I ask what the hell you were doing kissing my boyfriend?" Hermione asked calmly, but to those that truly knew her would recognise that the calm was a front for the fury raging inside of her.

Bella laughed cruelly. "Boyfriend? You didn't seem to be thinking of Jake when you were fucking him," she gestured to Paul who was now stood by Jacob's side, his hands stuffed casually into his jean pockets.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "You seriously have no understanding of human interactions, do you?" He said amused. "Trust me, if we had been having sex, there would've been a lot less clothes and a lot more mo... sorry, shutting up," he said after seeing Hermione's glare and Jacob sniggered at him.

"You knew about them?" Bella questioned, looking at Jacob's reaction and seeing that he wasn't the least bit surprised or upset by Paul's admission.

"I'm his girlfriend," Hermione said coldly, bringing Bella's attention back to her. "Paul is also my boyfriend." Hermione didn't care for Bella's scandalised expression. "You need to back off and leave him alone before I do something that I probably won't regret. And do you want to know why Jacob's no longer interested in you? I'm his imprint."

Bella gasped and her two wolves looked at her, wondering why she'd decided to tell Bella when the plan had been to keep it a secret.

"And, I'm also Paul's imprint." Bella's already wide eyes widened further and she decided to twist the knife in a little deeper when she caught sight of Edward making his way over to them. "And I'm also Edward's girlfriend since I'm his vampire mate."

The look on Bella's face made it worth the hassle it would be for her to remove her memories. Bella's eyes turned to Edward who stood on the other side of Jacob, and he looked at her blankly.

"And do you know what else? I'm not a regular human either, I'm a witch." Hermione brought her wand into Bella's view. "I'm a real-life, wand-waving, broomstick flying, spell-casting witch. Magic _does_ exist and I'm capable of casting forms of magic you would never be able to imagine. Do you wish to know why I'm telling you this, Bella? You see, just like Edward, I'm also capable of reading the thoughts of others."

Bella took a step back from her, her eyes filled with far too many emotions to pick out one singular one.

"But unlike Edward, I'm able to remove memories and wipe knowledge from the human mind, which I will be doing to you so you'll never remember the secret of the Cullens or pack, nor will you remember my secret. We've gone to a lot of trouble to protect you and I honestly don't care whether you die or not," she confessed. "But I won't stand for you making my soul bonds uncomfortable and unhappy, nor do I care for them being manhandled, unless it's by me. So, I suggest you back off and leave them alone and you do it quickly, or your first experience of magic will not be pleasant."

"You're lying, there's no such thing as magic," Bella replied.

Hermione smiled and tilted her head to the side. "There's no such thing as shape-shifters or vampires," she replied lightly, but to prove her point, Hermione spun on her heel and disappeared from view, landing behind Bella who shrieked in response. "There is," Hermione responded. "And one final thing," she said, walking back over to her soul bonds. "Jacob _hates_ being called Jake, it's not his name and you ruined it for him. Now, I expect you to behave whilst we're risking our lives to save yours. Edward will be going with you," she informed Bella. The vampire in question grumbled unhappily and she rolled her eyes at him as her two wolves smirked. "Seth will also be present, should any of the newborns manage to track you and if that's the case, you do as you're told. If your behaviour causes injury to either Edward or Seth, I won't be pleased. Since you know about magic, I don't have to knock you out for this part."

Before Bella could speak or react, Hermione took Edward's hand and grabbed her wrist and apparated to the mountain. Bella promptly emptied the contents of her stomach on the snow covered-ground and Hermione grimaced before vanishing the mess and she quickly apparated back down to the others to retrieve Seth.

"Look out for each other," she told Edward and Seth and they both nodded in promise, Seth soon disappearing into the trees surrounding the tent. She turned to leave but Edward caught her wrist. "Everything alright?" She asked him.

He nodded but gently pulled her closer to him, ducking his head to press his mouth to hers in a chaste kiss.

"What was that for?" She questioned with a tilted head.

His eyes flickered to the left where Bella stood, still getting over the effects of apparition and she was silently glaring at them.

"Just proving a point," he muttered softly.

She smiled at him, reaching up to kiss him and as she went to pull away, his arm snaked around her waist and pulled her into him. They moved their lips against each other's, both being mindful of his venomous fangs and she gripped at his shirt, the material bunched in her hands. When they heard the angry huff of Bella, Hermione pulled away from him, resting her forehead against his and breathing heavily.

"I'll see you soon," she told him.

"Be careful," he replied.

"To the best of my ability," she promised, kissing him one last time before stepping away from him and turning on her heel, apparating back to the clearing.

"Good timing, they're almost here," Alice said.

Hermione's gaze fell to the dark silver wolf and the russet wolf and she smiled at them softly before pointing her wand at herself and she muttered the Disillusionment Charm, as her fathers did the same and the wolves retreated into the shadows of the trees.

"Get ready," Jasper spoke, his eyes searching their surroundings, and pretty soon, footfalls were heard in the distance.

The army had arrived.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 6

**Sunday 26th November 2006**

Hermione had seen her fair share of battles in her life but the one she was currently fighting took her by surprise. She knew it wasn't going to be pleasant but the sheer hunger, anger and hatred of the newborns was something she hadn't been expecting.

These newborns were far different to the ones they'd been forced to fight at the Final Battle, maybe it was because they'd been changed around the same time and they'd been spending most of their time together, fighting each other and improving their skills. Maybe it was because whoever was controlling them had apparently kept them on a tight leash and now they were free, they didn't hold anything back. She didn't know but it was clear these newborns didn't show fear.

The appearance of the pack had the effect they'd hoped it would, it had distracted and confused the newborns for only a few seconds but it was enough for them to get the upper hand, as well as Hermione and her fathers remaining under Disillusionment Charms and they were perched in trees, firing spells where ever and whenever they could.

The newborns didn't understand what was happening when one of them was suddenly propelled backwards and away from a wolf or Cullen, nor did they understand what was happening when one of them suddenly caught fire and burst into ash, but the others were more than grateful they had the three magical folk covering their blind spots.

There weren't many newborns left, but the fight was far from over as the ones that were left were the strongest of the army and they were putting up one hell of a fight. She was just glad that no one had been injured yet, except for Jasper who had several bite marks to his arms and neck.

She grew distracted when a yelp broke through the noise of battle and her eyes darted about the battlefield in search of the owner of the noise. It was Jared and he was surrounded by three newborns, slowly being backed into a corner.

Hermione narrowed her eyes before pointing and aiming her wand. "Bombarda," she whispered, and it seemed that attending their training sessions had paid off as Jared caught sight of the beam of light from the corner of his eye, and just before it struck the ground in the centre of the three newborns, he propelled himself over a newborn and darted out of the way. The spell slammed into the ground and the backlash had the same effect as a muggle bomb, the force of excess magic ploughing into the three newborns before they'd had the chance to realise what was happening. That force blasted the newborns into pieces, sending the pieces everywhere before they rained down on the ground.

"Remind me to never piss her off!" Emmet called as he pulled the head off a newborn and Rosalie and Carlisle did the same with the arms, before throwing the pieces onto one of the many lit fires that had been caused by one of Hermione's many spells.

"Like that would make any difference," Rosalie snorted in reply before she ducked the beam of light that went flying over her head and it slammed into a tree on the other side of the clearing.

The tree set ablaze before it fell to the ground, catching two newborns in the process and setting them on fire, too, and it just missed both Embry and Quil as they'd spotted it and moved out of the way with inches to spare.

"I was slightly worried they would be in over their heads," Carlisle commented, as he and Jasper prevented a newborn from running to the tree they knew Remus to be perched in.

"They're soldiers," Jasper replied. "They know what they're doing, I think they've taken out more newborns than everyone combined, and they haven't moved from their positions since the battle began."

Jasper winced when the newborn was able to use his strength to flip him over his shoulder and he slammed into the ground, leaving behind a crater, but he reached out and caught him by the leg and he face-planted the ground, just as Alice appeared and tore the arms from the sockets.

"You okay down there, Jazz," she teased.

Jasper rolled his eyes before getting himself back to his feet and intervening in a newborn heading straight for Paul, who was too busy helping Leah take down a newborn to notice the one heading straight from him.

A shriek pierced his ears and it was followed by a deafening bang, Jasper turning his eyes in the direction of the sound to see Hermione sprawled on the ground with the tree beside her. He could _see_ her and that meant the spell she'd placed on herself to make herself invisible had been knocked off her. Her wand had fallen out of her hand leaving her defenceless and to make matters worse, she wasn't moving. With a newfound strength that even surprised himself, Jasper threw the newborn away from him and into the air, just as Jacob leap from the ground and caught it in his mouth, before landing on the ground and tearing it to pieces along with Sam.

Jasper ran across the clearing and over to Hermione, crouching down beside her with his eyes searching for his injuries and his hearing listening for any problems with her breathing or heartbeat, but everything appeared to be fine. She didn't seem to be as injured as she should've been given the height of the fall she'd taken, so he deduced that she must've used her magic. Reaching out, he touched her shoulder and the moment he did she bolted upright with such a speed, it took him by surprise.

"What happened?" She asked, her vision oddly clear given her recently unconscious state. His eyes darted to the fallen tree and her eyes followed his gaze. "Oh, where's the arsehole that knocked me off balance?" She demanded with a scary look on her face.

"Are you alright?" He questioned, his eyes flickering up to the battle in the clearing.

"Peachy, now, where's my wand?"

Her eyes darted about in search of it and when she couldn't see it, she sighed before closing her eyes and holding her hand out, palm up, and her wand appeared out of nowhere, soaring towards her and straight into her hand.

"Time for a new approach and you better bloody appreciate this," she grumbled, not looking pleased with whatever she was about to do.

"Why?"

"Because I _hate_ it," she muttered. " _Accio_ Firebolt3000," she said, summoning her broom from her beaded bag.

She rose to her feet and wobbled a little but she'd already righted herself before he reached out to steady her. With a less than pleased glance down at the broom held in her hand, she mounted it and after taking a calming, deep breath, she kicked off the ground and shot high into the sky with more speed than she'd actually intended to and she gripped the broom tightly in her hand.

Jasper blinked in surprise and his tipped back, watching as she flew over the battlefield at a speed his eyes could barely keep up with, beams of light and bursts of magic leaving her wand and she caused quite a bit of damage to their surroundings. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed two more streaks meaning Remus and Sirius had caught onto her plan and were following her lead and Jasper's mouth twitched proudly before he rose to full height and threw himself back into the battle.

"Are they..." Esme trailed off, her eyes focused on the sky above as the three figures unexpectedly dived towards the ground, darting between the wolves and vampires with practised ease and taking out as many of the newborns as they could whilst doing so.

"Yes," Jasper replied. "She's mad someone knocked her out of the tree," he shrugged his shoulders, his mouth pulling into an amused smile before he propelled himself off the ground, backflipping over the newborn that'd charged at him.

"Oh, okay," she said, as if it was an everyday regular occurrence, and at her words, they all realised they'd become so accustomed to Hermione's magic and way of life, that it didn't even surprise them she was flying on an actual broomstick and dealing devastating blows as she did so, too.

Before they knew it, they were down to the final five newborns, and they were the worst.

"PAUL!" Hermione called from the sky before she pulled the broom to straight stop, hovering above and blasting the newborn that had crept up behind him.

The large wolf turned around just in time to see the newborn burst into pieces and he turned his head back to the sky, his eyes widening in horror as a newborn ran up a tree and pushed off it, heading straight for her.

Hermione darted out of the way just in time and the newborn fell to the ground, only to be caught in mid-air by Sam. Unfortunately, she lost her balance on her broom and she fell off, a scream leaving her as she plummeted towards the ground, but before her instincts could kick in and she cast a charm to slow her descent, she felt herself being plucked out of the air. Her arms automatically wrapped around the neck of her saviour and she screwed her eyes shut tight, not wanting to see their descent or landing. She both heard and felt the ground shaking, a crater forming under the force of their landing.

Hermione took a calming breath before finding the courage to peel her eyes open, seeing Emmet's amused expression and his questioningly arched eyebrow. She breathed a sigh of relief and Emmet placed her back on the ground.

"Thanks, Emmet, I owe you one," she breathed out, her heart beating an unsteady rhythm and she bent over, pressing her hands against her knees and her bowing her head, trying to calm her heartbeat and regain the breath that had been stolen from her.

"I think we're even," he shrugged. "By the way, that was _awesome_ ," he grinned.

"I disagree, I _hate_ flying, but drastic times call for drastic measures."

There was a sudden howl of pain and Hermione's heart dropped into her stomach, bile rose in her throat and her head went fuzzy as she pivoted on her heel, looking behind her, her heart and chest constricting painfully when she saw a newborn with its arms around Jacob's middle. The others were running to help him but Hermione beat them to it.

" _Ascendo_ ," she yelled. The spell hit the newborn and he was pulled off of Jacob as he went soaring across the clearing. " _Descendo_ ," she called and when the charm struck the newborn, it sent him plummeting to the ground with such a force, it left a crater, the ground shook and a deafening bang filled the area.

Her eyes moved to Jacob who was now in human form and calling out in agony as the pack surrounded him along with Carlisle and her fathers. The anger and worry continued to build inside of her, making her furious and unpredictable, a ticking time bomb. She was going to make the newborn pay for hurting her soul bond.

They all looked ready to interfere with the final newborn but the raw look of cold fury that had transformed her face, the silent tears that fell from her eyes and blurred her vision, and her fathers telling them not to get involved, prevented them from doing so.

Hermione was quick to cross the battlefield, approaching the newborn as he climbed back to his feet. " _Expulso_ ," she shouted, an explosion bursting at the feet of the newborn and he was thrown back, taking down several trees with him before he hit the ground and skidded to a stop. He snarled in anger, his blood-red eyes focused on only her as he stood and charged at her.

" _Levicorpus_ ," she called and before the newborn reached her, his feet were dragged out from underneath him and he hung in the air upside down, wriggling and writhing about furiously, trying to break free and he snarled and growled viciously.

" _Tempest_ ," Hermione hissed, and out of nowhere a lightning bolt shot across the sky and slammed into the newborn, the _Levicorpus_ was released and he fell to the ground in a heap of limbs. The atmosphere darkened and was so thick they felt constricted, suffocated. " _Fiendfyre_ ," Hermione whispered.

The flames burst from her wand, taking the form of a dragon as it devoured its intended target. The newborn screamed and shrieked in agony as tears fell down Hermione's face, and before she knew it, the newborn was nothing but a pile of ash and the fiendfyre swarmed around the battlefield, devouring up the pieces of the destroyed newborns until there was nothing left.

A hand on her shoulder told her she wasn't alone.

"Put it out, Snowflake," Sirius said softly. "If you can control it like you've shown you can, you can extinguish it. Hurry, Jacob needs you."

At hearing his name, Hermione's fury was soon swept away as the worry and fear overpowered every other emotion, and in the blink of an eye, she extinguished the demon-possessed flames. Sirius and Remus both look relieved and Hermione spun on her heel and ran faster than she ever had, dropping to her knees beside Jacob without stopping first. She was careful as she lifted his head to rest in her lap and she was oblivious to the expressions of horror, surprise and admiration that were sent her way at what they'd just witnessed. She stared down at Jacob's writhing body, his face scrunched up in agony as silent tears fell down her face, somehow finding the strength to hold back the sobs that threatened to break free whilst Carlisle examined Jacob's injuries the best he could.

"The entirety of his left side has been crushed. The healing process has already begun, but we'll have to continuously re-break his bones so they set in the correct position."

Hermione blinked slowly and upon hearing Jacob's continued sounds of agony, she was pulled from her turmoil long enough to summon a selection of potions from her beaded bag. When she placed her hands against his cheeks, his eyes briefly opened and seeing the potion she gripped in her hand, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Pain Relief Potion. As it worked its way through his bloodstream, his calls and shouts died down to whimpers and his body stopped shaking uncontrollably, slumping against the ground. With his pain diluted, she gave him was a Sleeping Draught and he was asleep within minutes as she kept her eyes locked on his face and she ran her hands through his hair.

She could hear those talking around her but she couldn't decipher what they were saying, noting paying attention, wanting to keep her focus on her injured soul bond. Before she knew it, Jacob was removed from her hold and her fathers apparated him back to the tent, the pack following after them and Paul glanced at her worriedly before Jared shoved him back towards the tree line.

She was left alone.

She sat on the ground, silently staring off into the distance. Voices continued to surround her but she paid them no mind.

Edward appeared in her line of sight, his expression concerned. His lips were moving but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Her head was pounding and her eyes sight was beginning to blur. Carlisle appeared next to him and he, too, was looking at her worriedly.

"What's happened to her?" Edward asked worriedly, and he wasn't the only that appeared to be worried as the others were watching her silently, too.

"She's gone into shock," Carlisle said softly. "I don't understand the way her bond works with you, Jacob and Paul, but I can't imagine it being easy on her if one of you were to get injured. Jacob was incredibly lucky, if Hermione hadn't intervened and gotten the newborn away from him as quickly as she had, his injuries would've most definitely been fatal," Carlisle explained.

"She was injured," Jasper spoke up, his eyes flickering to the totalled tree and then back to Hermione, frowning in concern. "She was unconscious when I reached her, when I touched her she woke but she seemed fine."

Carlisle frowned and lifted his hands, carefully probing at the back of Hermione's skull but she didn't react to his touch, and given the ice-cold temperature, that worried him.

"She's not bleeding but she has a bump on the back of her head, I'll have to run some tests on her. Edward, you need to get her out of here before The Volturi arrive."

"It's too late," Alice's tinkling voice said. "They're here."


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Sunday 26th November 2006**

Edward's panic doubled; if the Volturi discovered Hermione's secret they'd covet her as much as they did he and Alice. She was invaluable, priceless.

"Stay with her," Carlisle instructed before he rose to his feet and crossed over to the others with Bella was stood behind them, looking at Hermione strangely whilst the newborn they'd spared was sat on the ground, eyes downcast and fiddling with her hands nervously.

Edward did everything he could to calm himself before he lowered himself to the ground and pulled Hermione to lean against his chest as he wrapped her up in his arms protectively. The only sign she'd acknowledged him was her hand coming up to grip at his shirt, refusing to let go. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was there, and that knowledge calmed him a little. He muttered words of comfort into her ear as she continued to stare off into the distance, tears silently falling down her face.

Edward's eyes drifted to the tree line when he picked up on the thoughts of the Volturi, and out they stepped, Demetri, Jane, Alec and Felix. They approached, their eyes taking in the damages to the area, the craters in the ground, the fallen trees and fire pits with burning body parts, and the ash covering the ground, before they came to a stop several feet before them, whereas Edward was several feet off to the side. Their eyes fell to him curiously, confused, but they otherwise didn't comment.

"Impressive," Jane spoke, her voice void of emotion, just the way he remembered. "I've never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact."

"We got lucky," Carlisle replied calmly.

"I doubt that,"

"It appears we missed an entertaining fight," Alec commented.

"It's not often we're rendered unnecessary," Jane agreed.

"If you'd have arrived half an hour ago you would've fulfilled your purpose," Carlisle replied.

As one, they turned their attention to the newborn, Bree, he thought her name was, and when Jane proceeded to use her ability on her, she writhed on the ground, screaming in agony. Hermione's body shook in his hold and her grip on his shirt tightened. He didn't need to see her thoughts to understand what was happening to her; although she was in a state of shock, a small part of her brain was registering the sounds of someone being tortured, and it brought back memories of the time she'd been captured in the war.

Edward silently thanked Jasper when he felt a wave of calm wash over him, and knowing he'd done the same to Hermione when her grasp on his shirt slackened and her body ceased in its shaking.

He divided his attention between comforting Hermione and listening as his family pleaded that the life of the newborn be spared, but it was futile as Felix destroyed her anyway, throwing the remains of her body onto one of the fire pits. Their attention then turned to Bella, who was shielded by his family and she took a step back under their penetrating stares.

"The Masters will be interested to know she's still human," Jane said, her red eyes glowing at the possibility of destroying his family for disobeying the laws.

"She is to no longer be changed," Carlisle spoke.

"Then you will all be destroyed," she replied, her mouth twitching slightly.

"Edward and Bella are no longer together. We have a way in which we can avoid Bella being changed or killed."

"There is no other option."

"There is," Carlisle argued. "We have a method that allows for knowledge to be erased from Bella's mind, and once we return home this evening, Bella will no longer remember the secrets of our kind or all that has transpired."

"That is impossible," Demetri spoke up with a frown, but his eyes soon darted to him, only his gaze was held on Hermione, watching her closely. " _Who_ is she?" He questioned, pointedly looking to them and Edward clenched his teeth as all eyes turned to him.

"That is a wonderful question," Jane spoke. " _Who_ is she, Carlisle?"

"She is Edward's true mate," he replied, his eyes falling to Hermione worriedly before turning back to the four vampires before them.

"Is that so?" She asked lightly, a smirk pulling at her mouth as she stared at Edward, her gaze unrelenting. "Bring her forward, I wish to see her."

"No," he replied instantly.

"Bring her forward," she commanded.

Carlisle shook his head subtly, though it didn't matter, he could already hear his thoughts on the matter. Against his better judgement, he was able to pry Hermione's hand off his shirt and he rose to his feet, pulling Hermione up with him and he guided her over to the others. The moment they reached them, both Jasper and Rosalie stepped closer to Hermione protectively and it went unnoticed by no one.

"You didn't do that for me," Bella spoke in outrage.

"We don't like you," Rosalie replied without missing a beat, not bothering to look back at her as her eyes were on the vampires in front of her, daring them to attack Hermione, to even attempt to.

"Interesting," Jane mused, tilting her head to the side. Hermione showed no response to the scrutinisation; her eyes remained focused on the distance, seeing everything and nothing. "She is human but she does not smell as such. She smells like a dog."

"She has several," Rosalie replied with a twitch of her lip, and Edward barely restrained himself from kicking her in the shin.

"Why is she unresponsive?"

"She's recently regained consciousness, she's a little disorientated," Carlisle responded, his eyes once more darting to Hermione in concern.

"Humans are so fragile," Jane commented. "You have not only disobeyed the laws once but _twice_."

"We have _not_ broken the laws," Edward argued. "My mate was already aware of the existence of our kind long before we met. She has known since she was a young child and we're not the first vampires she has come into contact with over the years. She knew what we were after only a day of meeting us."

Jane tilted her head to the other side appraisingly. " _What_ is she?"

"Human," he replied cautiously.

"No, she's different; she has a scent but it's neither appealing nor unpleasant. I can hear her heartbeat, yet I can't smell her blood. Despite her unresponsive state, her presence is one of power and knowledge. If she is truly your mate _and_ human, you would not have allowed her to be present for the battle, yet she was."

Edward gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw; they needed a distraction. Only it didn't come in the form of what he hoped it would.

Hermione swayed on her feet and collapsed to the ground, landing on her knees, a gasp of worry fell from Esme and she made to reach out to her only Edward and Carlisle were beside her instantly, ignoring the curious stares of the Volturi.

"Hermione? Can you hear me?" Carlisle asked softly, but she didn't respond other than a single, slow blink of the eyes. Carlisle's brow furrowed and he looked to Jasper, questioningly.

"She's not in physical pain," he answered his unvoiced question. "She's in emotional turmoil; shock, worry, heartbreak, remembrance," he frowned, looking to her in concern.

"Can you help her?"

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Possibly, but it may not be permanent; if she falls victim to her emotions, if she goes into shock again she'll have to break herself out of it, they'll be nothing I can do for it."

"Do it," Edward pleaded.

Carlisle moved out of the way and Jasper kneeled in front of her, his cold hands coming up to rest against either side of her face and he tilted her head gently, forcing her gaze to lock with his. He focused on only the emotions within Hermione; everyone else's fading to the background. He needed to know _exactly_ what she felt in order to counteract them. He sent a wave of calm, as well as love, acceptance and safety, hoping it would balance out her emotions, ridding her of her inner turmoil, and it was a few moments later when her eyes fluttered, blinking several times before they opened and her vision cleared, a confused expression settling over her face.

"Jasper?" She questioned.

"Nice to have you back," he commented softly.

"Back? Where've I been?" She frowned.

"You went away for a little while but you're back now. Do you remember what happened?" He asked.

He helped her to stand and she winced, her hand coming up to press against her aching head whilst her eyes darted about their surroundings. Her frown deepened as her gaze landed on the four strange, robe-clad vampires, all of them watching her curiously.

"I was falling... Before I hit the ground, Emmet caught me. We were talking when I heard a noise... II turned around..." Her eyes widened, a horrified, terrified expression filling her eyes.

"He's fine," Jasper assured her quickly. "He's safe and he's being cared for by your fathers."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief before she looked around once more, turning her head and catching sight of Bella but the moment she did so, fury burst within her. Her hands clenched into fists and her cheeks tinted pink and they all took a step back as the rage crossed her face, Jasper wincing when he felt it hit him like a punch to the stomach.

"You! You're the reason he almost died!" Hermione hissed.

She patted herself down in search of her wand but she didn't have it, so she held her hand out and it flew into her palm, the Volturi muttering noises of surprise at the display.

Hermione advanced on Bella, and Bella sensing Hermione's fury, turned and ran.

"Nice try," Hermione muttered. " _Levicorpus_ ,"

Bella released a scream when her legs were pulled from beneath her and she lifted into the air, being hung upside down by her ankles and flailing around pathetically.

"It's _your_ fault. You claim to care about him, to love him, yet when he was hurt because of _you_ , you didn't even ask if he was alright. You didn't even bat an eyelash," Hermione spat and the atmosphere was beginning to thicken, making it stuffy, tense and angry.

Hermione slashed her wand through the air and Bella fell to the ground, making a sound of pain before she shuffled backwards as she cried and Hermione slowly stalked her like the wolf she was. No one intervened, being too stunned to do so; Rosalie, on the other hand, looked delighted with the turn of events.

"You don't care for him and you never did. You used him to make Edward jealous, and that worked for a short while but Edward wised up and saw you for the selfish, spiteful cow you truly are," she hissed.

Hermione lifted her wand and slashed it in arc motion and just as the Stinging Hex was about to hit its target, a shield appeared in front of Bella and the hex rebounded. Hermione automatically threw up a shield of her own and the hex slammed into it, her shield dropped as her wand was ripped from her grasp.

"That is enough, Hermione!" A deep voice rumbled.

Hermione spun on her heel, seeing Sirius stood by the Cullens, his expression one of anger as he had his wand clutched in his hand and her wand in his other. It was instinctual for Hermione to drop to the ground on her knees with her head bowed; Sirius wasn't her Alpha but he was the Beta, and his orders had to be obeyed every bit as much as the Alpha's.

Sirius approached and when he stopped before her, he kneeled down and lifted her bowed head with a hand under her chin, forcing her to lock gazes with him.

"You're angry and worried and scared, but that is no excuse for you to abuse your magic. That is no excuse for you to use your magic on an _unarmed_ opponent, and a muggle at that. I don't care what she did, you don't _ever_ use magic on those that are weaker than you. There is no honour in that."

"She deserved it," she argued.

"Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but you can't allow your emotions to get the better of you; you of all people know what happens to your magic when you lose your temper. You know better. You _are_ better than this."

Her eyes fell downcast, feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

"I know you are, Snowflake," his voice softened. "But I don't want to ever have to intervene in your use of magic again."

"You won't, I swear it," she whispered.

"Good, now, it's time that you protect your family."

Sirius stood to his feet and he took her hand, helping her to stand and he handed her wand back to her. She glanced to the Cullens and they were staring at her in surprise which softened to understanding.

"Don't feel ashamed of your actions," Jasper spoke and she looked to him. "You're a good person and I'm convinced you wouldn't have actually hurt her."

"It was a Stinging Hex, the most it would've done was caused parts of her body to swell."

"It was a _powerful_ Stinging Hex," Sirius corrected. "I'm surprised it didn't shatter my shield," he admitted.

"You are a witch."

They all turned their eyes to the four Volturi vampires, seeing them staring at her in surprise and intrigue.

"Yes, and you're a vampire, your point is?" Hermione said bluntly and Sirius chuckled.

She didn't give them the opportunity to reply as she turned on her heel and crossed over to Bella, she shuffled backwards, little whimpers falling from her lips.

"Oh, for Merlin's Sake, Swan, I'm not going to hurt you." Hermione kneeled in front of her before pointing her wand at Bella. "Legilimens," she whispered, frowning when she came into contact with a brick wall almost immediately.

"Can you see into her mind?" Edward asked curiously. "She's immune to my gift and has been since we met."

"I can't see into her mind," Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully.

"So you can't erase her memories?" Carlisle questioned, trying to hide his worry as his eyes darted to the Volturi.

"No, I can, it just means I have to break down her defences which is going to hurt the both of us. Her mind has a natural defence against outside influences which is why Edward can't read her thoughts. It's a rare occurrence, but not impossible. It's likely she has magical ancestry but seeing as she doesn't possess it herself, it must've been a Squib. Once I break through her mental barriers, that's it, she won't be able to put them back up, meaning you'll be able to hear her thoughts just as you can everyone else."

"Except you," Edward replied.

"I offered to show you but you declined, now stop distracting me."

They waited patiently as Hermione set to work on breaking down the brick wall, and to do that, she had to remove each brick one at a time. When she was more than halfway complete, she forced her way into Bella's mind and she cried out in response as Hermione blasted her way through the remainder of the shield. She came to a locked door which she blew off its hinges before she was finally able to access all of Bella's thoughts and memories.

It took her a little while to erase her memories of anything to do with vampires, shape-shifters and magic, but she was careful to leave important memories in there, such as her relationship and breakup with Edward and her relationship with Jacob, she just altered the reasoning behind the causes of arguments and breakups. When Hermione came to the memories of her, she allowed Bella to remember her identity of Lady Black but not of her being a witch, and she took away the memory of her being in the know of her dating Paul and Edward, too. She wanted Bella to fear her when they passed in the hallways but only because she knew Hermione wasn't the person to mess with. She would remember the fear but not all the reasons behind it. After double-checking she hadn't missed anything, she retreated from Bella's mind, panting and holding a hand to her own aching head.

"I can hear her thoughts but they're jumbled," Edward muttered.

"She's sorting through the new and altered memories I gave her," Hermione explained as she rose to her feet and then walked back over to her father.

"Well done, Snowflake," he praised.

Bella shook her head before standing up, looking around confused.

"Where are we? What are we doing here? Who are they?" She asked frowning and pointing to the Volturi.

The Cullens shared a look of relief when Edward confirmed she truly didn't remember anything. As Bella's eyes darted about the faces present, she came to a stop on Edward and her face pulled into a smile.

"No," he said flatly.

Bella scowled. "Fine, I'm done with this, she can have you, you're not even that interesting anyway."

"Do be quiet before you make a fool of yourself," Hermione warned and Bella turned her eyes to her, fear flickered through them. "Just remember, Swan, the House of Black isn't known for being forgiving." With that, Hermione cast a spell that knocked Bella unconscious.

"Is she dead?"

"No, Rosalie, she isn't," she replied and Rosalie looked disappointed. "There, Swan doesn't remember anything and the laws of your kind have not been broken," she said to the Volturi vampires.

"The House of Black?" The small blonde questioned, looking surprised to have heard the name. Hermione and Sirius shared a glance.

"You've heard of us?"

"You are Lord Black?" She asked, looking to Sirius.

"Sirius Black, and this is my daughter, Hermione Black," he introduced. They took the slightest step back and Sirius' mouth twitched in amusement. "So you _have_ heard of us. It seems our reputation precedes us," he commented amused, looking down at Hermione.

"And before you say anything, the answer is no," Hermione said. "We know you're going to go back to your Masters and tell them of us, of how Edward is mated to a witch from the House of Black and they're either going to want to meet us or covet us, and the answer is no. We've got our own issues to deal with without adding more to the cauldron. We don't want anything to do with the Volturi, if you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone, and that includes the Cullens, too. There's no longer any need for your presence here."

"Feisty, aren't you?" One of the vampires said amused.

"Demetri, he's the best tracker in existence," Edward muttered in her ear. "Jane, ability to cause unimaginable pain and her twin, Alec, ability to numb the senses. Their abilities are psychological. Felix has strength that surpasses Emmet's."

Hermione's mouth twitched at the news, if it was psychological, their abilities wouldn't work on her due to her Occlumency shields.

"Yes, and it would be wise to not anger me, just ask Edward, he's been set on fire twice since meeting me."

"You set your _mate_ on fire _?"_ H questioned, looking stunned, pleased and approving.

"He was being a prat," she shrugged without remorse. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be. There's no point in trying to track myself or my father, or the Cullens for that matter; my magic will prevent you from finding our location, and if I ever discover that your coven is searching for us, I will do far worse than wiping our existence from your minds," she warned.

She summoned her broom before heading over to Bella, holding her by the wrist and she turned on the spot, disappearing from view with Sirius doing the same.

"I would heed her warnings," Jasper spoke.

"Are you threatening us?" Alec asked.

"No, just warning you. I would not want to anger her." He looked around the battlefield and their eyes followed his. "She was responsible for nearly half of the newborn army being destroyed. She is not a weak human but a strong, powerful witch, who has suffered more than any of us can imagine, and she won't hesitate to defend herself or her family," he finished, before he turned and walked away, and one by one, the others followed.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Tuesday 5th December 2006**

Eight days after the newborn army had taken place, Jacob was still bedridden and he'd yet to wake.

When Hermione had arrived at the tent, it was to see the pack either sat on the couches or pacing back and forth in the living room, and upon her entrances, she'd barely gotten the chance see or acknowledge sad and guilty looks they sent her way as she dashed to her bedroom, knowing that was where she'd find Jacob.

When stepped into her room, it was to the sight of Jacob sleeping in the centre of her bed with Paul helping Remus tend to him, as he searched the collection of potions gathered on the bedside table and passed them to Paul to administer to Jacob. At the sight, she burst into tears, unable to stop herself even though she knew he was now safe from harm and once Carlisle arrived, he'd have the best treatment money could buy.

After a nod from Remus, who watched his cub with a breaking heart, Paul quickly wrapped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly, whispering reassurances into her ear as she clung to him with a strength that took him by surprise.

It wasn't long later when Sirius arrived and accompanied by Carlisle and Edward, and whilst he went to Jacob's side to discuss the treatment Remus had already given Jacob, Edward slowly approached Hermione. Feeling his presence and the hand that gently touched her shoulder, she pulled her face away from Paul's chest and looked at him over her shoulder, her tears clouding her vision. When she saw the soft, sad expression in his bright golden eyes, she detangled herself from Paul and threw herself into his arms, sobbing into his shirt, all the while being partially aware of her fathers and Carlisle discussing how they could use both magical _and_ muggle healing to help ensure Jacob's advanced healing was less painless and more effective.

Sometime later, the four teenagers were left alone and Hermione retrieved a damp cloth from the bathroom before she tended to Jacob, silently washing away the mud and grime from his face, arms and chest. She didn't trust herself to do it magically and this way was more personal.

Afterwards, she laid down beside him being careful not to touch him except for holding his hand, and she cried herself to sleep with Paul holding her from behind and Edward sat in a chair by the bed.

The next morning she'd refused to leave Jacob's side and attend school; she hadn't spoken her wishes but the glare on her face and her wand gripped tightly in her hand was a dead giveaway that she shouldn't be pushed. Edward had reluctantly left for school but Paul chose to remain home, watching over Hermione and holding her to him silently as she laid beside Jacob, his gaze never leaving his sleeping face.

They didn't talk, they barely moved except to use the bathroom and Paul had all but begged her to eat, her fathers and Carlisle scolded her and when that didn't work, Moony had come forward and given her an Alpha order to eat which she couldn't refuse.

For the following week, she never once left her bedroom and she barely left Jacob's side, if only to use the bathroom and shower but she was always back beside him within fifteen minutes of leaving. Paul had been forced to return to school two days later by Sirius and Remus but Hermione 's refusal to leave Jacob was strong, and so Carlisle, bless the man, had informed the school that she'd contracted a contagious illness and would return once she was no longer in danger of putting others at risk.

Jacob had been tended to by Hermione, using both magic and muggle methods to keep him clean whilst he was visited several times during the day to be administered his treatment and medications. It had been decided by the three adults that it would be best if Hermione stayed away from the medicinal aspect of Jacob's treatment, as she was too emotionally fraught and they didn't want to risk her accidentally making Jacob's condition worse due to her lack of concentration or control over her emotions and therefore her magic.

And now, eight days later, found Hermione sat beside the bed in a chair holding Jacob's hand in hers and pressing the back of it against her cheek as she stared at him.

He looked better, far better than before; the bandages that had once been covering his body were now gone, he was no longer being given Sleeping or Pain Relief Potions, or Skele-Gro, and his body had almost healed all of his injuries. It was heartbreaking for her to watch Carlisle continuously re-break Jacob's bones but it had to be done; whilst he had advanced healing, the bones hadn't been growing back in the correct position and had to be reset each time. But now, they were finally fully formed and they were just waiting for the new bones to strengthen and for him to wake from his slumber naturally.

She missed him. She knew he was important to her; he was a significant part of her life, but she didn't think she would miss him as much as she did. She didn't think it would hurt so much to not hear his laugh or see him smile, but it did. She had never felt pain like it. She wiped away her fallen tears with her free hand before wrapping that around Jacob's, too.

"I miss you," she whispered, her eyes flickering between his face and the rise and fall of his chest. "I miss you so much it hurts. I didn't realise how much I depended on you, or how much I need you, because I do, _I need you_. My life is so much better since meeting you. Your smile, your laugh, your teasing, I miss it and I need it."

She turned her head to place a kiss to the back of his hand before opening up his closed fist and placing his palm against her cheek, leaning into it.

" _Please_ wake up; I can't take the pain any longer. Please, come back to me. I love you," she whispered.

After her declaration, her cries grew louder and her eyes shut tightly, stinging as she tried to force back the tears but they fell uncontrollably down her cheeks. She felt the slightest twitch against her cheek before Jacob's thumb swept across her skin softly. A gasp fell from her lips and her eyes darted open, blinking quickly until her vision cleared and she saw dark eyes watching her adoringly with a soft, sleepy smile to match.

"I love you, too," Jacob said, his voice coming out quiet and cracked from a lack of use.

A sob tore from her as she released his hand and stood from the chair, leaning over as she wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she dared. He muttered soothingly into her ear and although it took him a little effort, he was able to lift his arms to wrap around her, holding her against him and his nose ran the length of her neck, breathing in her scent deeply. They didn't know how long they stayed that way but they didn't move, not even when Hermione's tears had finally stopped falling.

"Please, don't ever leave me," she whispered, begged, not caring that her back was aching from being hunched over for so long; she wasn't letting go of him, she couldn't, not yet.

"I promise I won't leave you, it'd take a lot more than a leech to take me out," he replied.

Despite his name-calling, she allowed it to go since she was so happy to see him awake and talking.

"I love you, I honestly do," she promised, this time knowing he was awake and he'd hear every word of it.

She heard his heart skip a beat, she felt the deep breath he took and the way his arms tightened around her.

"I know you do, and I love you, too," he responded softly.

Hermione finally pulled back from him but stayed close to him, looking down at his face to see a smile gracing his features and she leaned down and kissed him softly and chastely before pulling back. She saw his arm shake as he lifted it and pressed his hand against her cheek; she knew he wasn't yet back to full strength as that simple movement had required a lot of effort from him.

"I want to complete our bond."

"What?" She frowned.

"Our bond, I want to complete it, like you and Paul have," he said. "I know you wanted to wait until I was more confident and I was able to talk about things without getting embarrassed, but I don't want to wait anymore. As much as I hate to admit it, for a little while I thought I was going to die and my life flashed before my eyes, until I saw you and I knew I would be okay with you looking after me." She stared at him, unsure what to say. "It put things into perspective for me. Our lives are dangerous and I don't ever want to find myself in a situation where my life flashes before my eyes and we haven't completed our bond. Paul said things are different with you; everything's magnified, you can sense the other's feelings and presence, it's brought you closer and I want that, too. I'm never going to be comfortable and confident if I don't have the opportunities to be."

Her eyes searched his and she wanted to protest but her magic was pushing her, its influence stronger than it had ever been due to her witnessing Jacob's near-death experience. If they'd had been bonded, she would've known it was going to happen and she could've stopped it before it did and Jacob would've never been hurt. She couldn't put either of them in that situation again.

She brought her hand up to his, gripping it tightly and she nodded. "Okay, we'll complete the bond," she agreed quietly. His eyes widened as he obviously hadn't been expecting her to agree with him so easily. "I love you and I don't want to put you in danger. If we'd had completed our bond, I would've known you were in danger and I could've prevented it, I won't make that mistake again. So, when you're back to full strength and you're cleared by Carlisle, we'll complete our bond," she said, a smile tugging at her mouth when she saw him smile and his cheeks darkened slightly. "How're you feeling? Are you in any pain? Are you hungry? Do you want me to..."

"I'm fine," he chuckled, smiling at her and shaking his head. "I'm not in any pain, I just feel a little achy but it's manageable. And yes, I'm hungry," he said, making her smile widen. "How long have I been out?"

"Eight days," she said sadly.

"I'm fine now," he promised her. "Why don't I need to pee? And why don't I smell either?" He questioned, noting the lack of body odour that should've been present but wasn't, and his teeth and mouth didn't feel all that fuzzy or dirty either.

She laughed at him and he smiled at the sound, at seeing her eyes shining, no longer with tears but with happiness.

"Magic," she shrugged. "I'll go and heat up some leftovers, I'll be right back, don't move," she warned with a narrowed gaze before she left his side.

When she returned moments later, she held a pizza box in her hand and she helped Jacob to sit up, arranging the pillows to better support him and she silently watched as he ate his meal happily. As he was finishing off his last slice of pizza, a thought suddenly occurred to him and he looked to Hermione suspiciously.

"Please tell me you've been going to school." He sighed when he saw the expression on her face, letting him know that she hadn't been.

"I couldn't leave you; you were injured and I couldn't bring myself to leave your side or let you out of my sight, I've never been away from you longer than fifteen minutes. As much as I value education, you're more important to me. I can easily catch up at school and Edward's been taking notes for me and collecting homework assignments for me to complete, so I don't fall behind. Paul stayed for the first couple of days but Alpha and Papa forced him to return to school."

"You've been eating?" He questioned with a slightly narrowed gaze, his eyes sweeping her face slowly.

"I've been eating three meals a day," she nodded, leaving out the part where she'd been Alpha ordered to do so, that was something he didn't need to know. "They've been living off takeout since the battle, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to cook for them; I could barely control my magic unless I was using it to tend to you."

"Where's everyone else?" He asked, not hearing anyone else in the tent and it was rare that they were alone, it if weren't the Cullens or a member of the pack, it was her fathers that were home. "The Cullens have gone hunting and the others are with Alpha and Papa in the woods."

"Why?" He arched his eyebrow.

"It's the full moon tonight," she answered and his eyes widened in surprise, staring at her silently. "Since I couldn't leave you, they all offered to go with them so Alpha would have a pack with him to prevent him from self-harming. He's on the Wolfsbane Potion which helps him to manage Moony, but he's been on it for years now and it's starting to become less effective. Before we know it, he'll have built up a tolerance to it altogether and that's where the pack comes in as a substitute of sorts. Sam's staying away from the area though as it's dangerous to have two Alphas in the same territory during the full moon. We're all technically one unified pack but for the night of the full moon."

"You should be with them, Hermione. This is the first full moon since your transformation; this is _your_ first full moon where you're able to be with your fathers."

"You needed me; I couldn't leave you on your own."

"Well, now you can." She didn't look pleased with his words. "I'm perfectly fine, and the Doc will confirm it when he comes in the morning. You need to be with your pack, I'll be fine on my own for a few hours. Please, go be with your pack and don't let me keep you from them, from where you're needed."

Her eyes searched his for a moment before she released a tired, defeated sigh. "Once Remus has gone through the transformation, I'm coming straight back," she promised.

He smiled and nodded in agreement, tilting his head slightly when she reached over to place a kiss to his cheek and then she stood and left the room, flicking her wand towards the kitchen and a carton of ice-cream and a spoon magically levitated to her room and Jacob. After leaving the tent, she apparated to the warded sight and she quickly reworked the wards to allow both Animagi and shape-shifters access should they need to leave in a hurry before the full moon was up.

She then shifted into her wolf form and stepped through the wards, feeling the magic washing over her as she was accepted. It took a while to find the pack as they were in the centre of the mapped out radius, a lot further from the boundaries line than usual, but as she approached, her eyes scanned her surroundings. Remus was in his werewolf form and currently playing chase with Collin, Brady and Padfoot whilst the others were spread out and watching amused from the sidelines, happily lounging in the moonlight.

As she drew near, Moony halted to a stop in his chase and his eyes snapped to her, narrowing slightly. Seeing his reaction, all eyes turned to her and they widened slightly upon seeing her. Moony slowly approached her and she dropped down onto her stomach, rolled onto her back and bared her neck in an act of submission and when he reached her, he barely sniffed at her before gently biting down on her neck, then licking at her fur in imitation of a wolf and their cub.

She rolled back onto her stomach and stood to her feet; despite her much larger size and being bigger than Moony, he didn't appear to be threatened by her, rather, he nuzzled himself against her before turning and returning to his game of chase with Collin and Brady. Her eyes moved to Padfoot, seeing him staring at her with wide eyes and his mouth open, which was an amusing sight given he was in his Animagus form.

He slowly approached her and given their size difference, she dropped onto her stomach bringing them closer together in height. Despite being in his Padfoot form, his eyes remained the same grey colouring and held the same emotions, and when she looked at him, she saw pride and awe. He released a bark, his tail swishing in excitement and his tongue lolling out of his mouth. She heard the wheezing laughter of the pack in her ears, as well as in her head through the shared mind link, something she was sure she'd never get used to. Padfoot barked once more before nipping at her paw playfully and she swotted at him gently in return, causing him to yelp and duck the blow. He narrowed his eyes but deciding it wasn't worth the potential injuries and embarrassment, he turned his attention back to playing chases with Moony, Collin and Brady. Safer territory.

She felt Paul's presence beside her and turned her head to see the silver-grey wolf staring at her, his eyes large, soft and hopeful.

 _'He's awake,'_ she thought and she both saw and heard the puff of breath that left his mouth. _'And he's fine, he forced me to leave and when I did so, he was eating.'_

Paul snorted. _'He's okay?'_

 _'So he says, he's not in any pain, he just feels a bit achy but he's not back to his full strength; it took some effort just lift his arms so he could hug me. Carlisle will check him over in the morning and hopefully he'll be fine in a few days and we can put this mess behind us,'_ she sighed, and she leaned her head against the top of his when he nuzzled her neck.

 _'Thank you,'_ she said.

_'What for?'_

_'For not getting angry or jealous that my attention's been on Jacob lately. For understanding that I couldn't leave him or give you the attention I usually do,'_ she replied.

 _'I know you love me, since our bonding it's almost like I can_ feel _it, and although Jacob needed you and your sole focus was on him, that doesn't change how I feel about you or you, me. I knew you needed to be with him, if the roles were reversed and you were the one hurt, I would've done the same as you. I understand our bond and our future together, so there's no reason for me to get angry or jealous that one of your soul bonds needed you more than usual.'_

She sighed. _'I love him.'_

_'I know,'_

_'You do?'_ She questioned in surprise, turning her eyes to him.

He snorted _. 'Of course, I do,_ everyone _could see that, particularly over your reaction to him getting injured and your behaviour this last week.'_

 _'He wants to complete our bond,'_ she confessed.

 _'I'm not surprised,'_ he replied. _'I know you wanted to build his confidence up first, what are you going to do?'_

_'I agree with him; I almost lost him and if we'd have been bonded, I would've known he was in danger before it happened and I could've prevented it. I can't and won't make that mistake again.'_

_'Do you want me to talk to him?'_

_'I'm sorry?'_ She questioned in surprise.

He chuckled. _'Do you want me to talk to him? You and I both know he gets embarrassed about sex, if you want me to, I'll talk to him and see if it'll put him at ease a little.'_

_'That might actually work but only if he approaches you, don't just spring it on him. He doesn't want me to compare him to you, which is what he's worried about even though I would never and could never do that.'_

_'I'll talk to him when the chance comes up. Have you told Cullen?'_

_'No, I won't see him until the morning, I won't be at school since Alpha will be recovering from the full moon and I need to stock up on my potions since my stores have been seriously depleted with Jacob's injuries. I wanted to wait until Jacob was better but I won't have the chance, the moment Edward walks into the room he'll hear Jacob's thoughts. I need to get him alone so I can talk to him about it. He's doing remarkably well in learning to control his jealousy and I don't want this to push him over the edge or derail his progress.'_

_'He'll be fine, if not, you can always set him on fire again,'_ he suggested, and for the first time in over a week, Hermione burst out laughing.

 _'I love you,'_ she sighed, her laughter dying off.

 _'Love you, too,'_ he replied, nuzzling at her neck before their eyes darted to the game of chase, as a loud 'thud' was heard and it was followed by a yelp.

 _'Oh, Merlin's Sake,'_ Hermione sighed, the wolves releasing wheezes and grunts of laughter as Padfoot lay sprawled on the ground, his limbs at odd angles and a dazed expression on his face. _'Snape was right, he_ is _a dunderhead.'_


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Wednesday 6th December 2006**

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Edward questioned in concern as he approached the wards that surrounded the tent with the rest of his family, seeing Hermione waiting outside to escort them into the tent but also seeing the way she had an apprehensive look settled her face and it was aimed directly at him.

"I need to talk to you," she replied.

"About?" He arched an eyebrow.

When she bit her lip, he knew he was in for it.

She sighed and his eyes swept over her figure, seeing that whilst she still looked tired, she looked a lot better than she had in over a week and he suspected Jacob had finally woken and was on the mend. He couldn't hear his thoughts or any voices but that was due to the wards preventing him from being able to hear them, and only when he crossed the wards would he be able to.

His eyes landed on that of her wand held in her hand and his brow pulled into a frowned, knowing that the need of a wand during a discussion with him only meant one thing, he would lose control of himself and Hermione would set him on fire to get him to calm down.

"It's a _delicate_ matter," she settled for.

He narrowed his eyes, knowing fine well that he wouldn't be able to enter her mind and hear her thoughts or anyone's beyond the wards but that didn't stop him from at least attempting it. She pulled her eyes from him and to the rest of his family, who were all watching Hermione with intrigue and worry, all of their thoughts being similar; had there been a development with the enemies of her world?

"It's nothing to worry about," she said, as if sensing their concern.

"She's right," Jasper commented, watching her curiously. "She's just nervous, whatever it is she wishes to discuss with Edward, it's making her anxious as to what his reaction may be."

Hermione nodded. "I have a feeling he's not going to like what I wish to discuss with him, hence my wand," she said, giving the magical wooden stick a gentle shake to bring attention to it.

"If you're going to set fire to him, make sure you don't hit his shirt, it's new and cost more than my shoes," Alice said lightly. Hermione snorted at Edward's expression as he shot Alice an annoyed look. "What?" She asked innocently. "We both know she's more than likely to set you on fire, it's the only way she's able to distract you enough that you forget your previous feelings," she shrugged.

Leaving Edward and Alice to their glaring match, Hermione turned to Carlisle and said,

"He woke last night,"

Carlisle smiled softly at her. "I'm glad to hear that, he's over the worst of it."

Hermione nodded. "He said he wasn't in any pain other than his body aching. He had something to eat before he forced me to leave and go to Alpha, so I could be with him and the pack during the full moon. When we returned this morning, he was asleep."

"And how is Remus?" He asked.

She smiled at the family of vampires, seeing that they all looked concerned for her father.

"He's fine, I imagine it's the best full moon he's ever had; he had no injuries but the regular ones that accompany the painful transformation. He and Sirius are both resting, as is Paul. The rest of the pack returned home for rest when Alpha fell asleep, after wearing them all out," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I'll escort you inside but there won't be anyone to converse with as there usually is, Jacob's still asleep, too. Remus won't be awake until later this evening but Sirius and Paul should be up before that."

"Once Jacob's awake I'll speak with him and check his progress," Carlisle said and Hermione thanked him before she escorted the family into the tent whilst Edward waited for her outside the wards.

"Let's go for a _human_ walk," she suggested, holding her hand out to him in offering.

Despite his apprehension to the discussion that was to be had, he chuckled at her words and slipped his hand around hers. They walked through the woods hand in hand and in silence, Hermione leading the way blindly as they both tried to sort through their thoughts.

"Well, this'll do," she said aloud but he knew she was talking to herself as she often did when she was lost in thought.

She came to a stop and turned to face him, her head tipping back and her chocolate brown eyes locked onto his golden orbs.

"Thank you," she said.

He blinked in surprise, why was she thanking him? Why did she feel the need to have her wand ready for simply thanking him?

She snorted at his confused expression. "Thank you for not complaining about my attention being elsewhere this past week."

His expression softened and he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "He needed you and you needed to be with him."

"I know, but I'm thankful that you were able to understand that; it shows you've come a long way since our first meeting and your understanding of the bond between us is there. You didn't complain or argue, you didn't get offended or sulky; you let me give my attention to Jacob without your possessive instincts getting in the way. You take care of me whilst I took care of him."

"Well, he needed you, I may not like that I'm forced to share you with two others but you're still my mate and you come first and you always will. Your health is dependent on his; there was no point in me getting mad over the situation as I knew you wouldn't stand for my possessive behaviour. I didn't want to upset you further or make you feel as though you were abandoning me for him."

"And you didn't want to anger me," she added, her mouth twitching into a smile.

"That too," he agreed shamelessly and she laughed before stepping into him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. His arms wrapped around her in return, keeping her to him and he placed a kiss to her forehead, hearing a sigh from her and his mouth tugged into a smile. "I'm assuming that you thanking me isn't the reason you brought me out here."

She pulled back from him and he reluctantly released her from his hold, allowing her to do so. "No, it's not," she replied and he wasn't blind to the way her grip on her wand tightened. "I don't know how you're going to react to what I have to say, and that's why I'm not sure how to say it."

His brow furrowed. "It's going to upset me?"

"Probably," she nodded, nibbling at the corner of her lip.

"Just tell me, I'll do my best to control my temper," he promised.

She sighed in defeat. "Jacob woke last night," she began, but he already knew that as she'd told them upon their arrival, "I love him and I told him, and he told me that he loves me, too." She watched for his reaction but much to her surprise, the only reaction she got was that of his golden eyes darkening.

"I know, I've known since the battle that you were in love with him, and I've known he's been in love with you since he came to the school to warn us about Victoria," he admitted.

"I'm glad the bitch is dead," she said without remorse or shame. "It's too bad you burned the pieces so quickly, you could've allowed her to reassemble so I could set the cow on fire," her voice darkened. She didn't just blame the newborn for Jacob's close call with death, she blamed Victoria and Riley as they were the reason they'd needed to fight in the first place.

"Well, she's gone now," Edward said softly.

She took a deep breath, reigning in her anger and giving her head a light shake. "When Jacob woke, we spoke about our relationship." She spied Edward's hands closing into fists and she summarised that he already knew where she was going with the admission. "He wants for us to complete our bond, just as I have done with Paul, meaning we'll be having sex."

She sighed tiredly and was completely unsurprised when a tree suddenly fell to the ground with a deafening 'bang' as Edward promptly put his closed fist through it, followed by the second, and then the third. After the fifth tree hit the ground she lost her patience.

"When you're quite finished," she scowled, her annoyance not only showing in her tone but also in her body language, in the way her arms folded across her chest and she tapped her wand against her leg. A less than pleased Edward entered her line of sight as he stood before her. "Thank you, now, I agree with him. Calm down," she muttered, reaching out to interlock her fingers with his and at her touch, he calmed a little. "If I had completed my bond with him I would've known he was in danger before it'd happened, it's the reason Paul was the only wolf to get away without a single injury, I _knew_ when he needed me and I was able to prevent him from getting hurt. The other wolves had a few broken bones except for Jacob who almost died." She looked up into his golden orbs, getting trapped in his gaze.

"I can't allow something like this to happen again, I don't think I'd survive losing any of you. You've got an advantage over Paul and Jacob, you're able to read the thoughts and intentions of others so you know when an attack is coming your way, and Paul already has an extra layer of protection through our completed bond. When Jacob's cleared by Carlisle, we'll be completing our bond, and when the time comes, we'll complete our bond, too."

He stiffened, just as he always did when the subject was brought up and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I've explained many times that it's possible for us to be together in that way, I'm not a regular human; I've my magic to protect me, my wolf form has improved my strength and senses, and I can brew potions to make me stronger, faster, all but invulnerable for a short while, and certainly long enough for our bond to be completed." She reached up onto her tiptoes and softly ran her fingers over his jaw. "It's going to happen, you just don't want to admit it. Don't you want to know what it feels like to be in tune with me, with my body, my mind _and_ my soul? Don't you want to know how things between us will change? Or how our pull towards each other will magnify? Paul said I'm the best thing to ever happen to him, don't you want to feel that, too?"

"You already _are_ the best thing to happen to me," he argued, though his eyes fluttered closed as her fingers continued to skim his jaw.

"Yes, and I was to Paul, too, only now everything between is...Different. Stronger. Healthier. True. Complete," she whispered. "Don't you want to be able to have a sense of what I'm feeling without having to observe or ask? Don't you want to be able to protect me even when we're miles apart? The bond will allow that, your ability to read thoughts may not reach further than a couple of miles, but our bond will; you'd be able to feel my presence even if we're on different continents. It'll be like I'm stood next to you when in reality I'm somewhere else."

"You're my soul bond, we belong together. You may have been waiting for me longer than I have you, but that doesn't mean that you're any less mine, because you _are_ mine. And I want to be with you in every way possible. What I feel with Paul and what I will feel with Jacob, I want to have the same with you."

His golden eyes stared at her intensely; she was impossibly close to him, her mouth barely inches from his as she looked up at him and her fingers continued to trail his jaw, only now they moved to his cheek, his chin, his neck, her skin heating his.

"In every way possible?" He muttered in question.

"Every way possible," she confirmed in a whisper.

His hands folded around her and moulded her to him quicker than she could blink, though she was aware that he'd been careful not to hurt her. He was always so careful; she just wanted him to release his inhibitions, to forget about his worries and to feel freely. His mouth lowered until there was barely any space between them but she didn't move, she never wanted to push him into anything or make him uncomfortable, so she was never the one to initiate the kiss, allowing him that control.

He watched her, seeing the way her eyes darted to his mouth, hearing the slight hitch in her breath and the way her heartbeat sped up. He closed the space between them, his cold lips moulded against her soft ones, their lips touching and pulling and he took her breath away. She was the one to pull away first, he might've not needed oxygen for survival, but she did. When her eyes fluttered open, she realised that she was now backed up against a tree with him looking down at her, his eyes watching her intently.

"Even marriage?" He asked quietly.

Her heart skipped a beat and she took a deep breath. "Not now," she replied, seeing the way his face fell slightly. "I'm still in school and I'm in hiding, waiting for my enemies to find and kill me and my family. If I survive, then I can easily see myself marrying you in the future and in the Wizarding World where it's allowed and accepted. So yes, I want you in every way possible, including marriage."

Hope and determination lit his eyes and face.

" _Nothing_ is going to harm you," he said confidently.

"Not when I have three overprotective boyfriends," she replied, a slight twitch to her lips.

"Exactly," he agreed, a look of acceptance settling over his face. "I'm not mad that you're completing the bond with Black," he sighed. "And I'll try my best to come to term with completing our bond."

~000~000~000~

"We're still waiting for your bones to strengthen so they can take the pressure of you walking, Carlisle said as he stood beside Hermione's bed and looking down at Jacob.

Jacob was propped up by some cushions and Hermione was sitting beside him on the bed, her hand held by in his.

"For now, I want you to carry out some simple exercises, for today we'll start with lifting your limbs, raising your arms above your head, sitting up and being able to raise your legs, things along those lines. Tomorrow, we'll move onto lifting objects, and hopefully, in a couple of days, we'll start with you walking and then you should be back to perfect health."

Hermione and Jacob looked to one another, sharing a smile.

~000~000~000~

**Sunday 10th December 2006**

"I'm pleased with your progress and your ability to walk unaided and without issue. I'm officially giving you a clean bill of health," Carlisle said, whilst Jacob turned his head to look at Hermione, giving her a knowing look, his eyes darkening slightly. "I still want you to be careful for the next few days, so no strenuous activity."

Hermione bit the side of her cheek and barely stopped herself from laughing as Jacob's face fell and he glared daggers at Carlisle.

~000~000~000~

**Friday 15th December 2006**

It'd been almost a week since Jacob had been officially given the all-clear from Carlisle, and while both Hermione and Jacob were happy with the news, she'd been rejecting his hints at wanting to complete their bond. She wanted to wait until she was sure he was completely safe from injuring himself, and Carlisle had wished Jacob to refrain from any strenuous activity, which Jacob had thought ridiculous.

The week went by fairly quickly and although Hermione and Jacob had spent some time alone together, she made sure they never went further than a few kisses and a bit of touching.

It was Friday night, Paul was off on patrols, Edward had left to go hunting with Emmet and Jasper as they'd all but begged him to go with them and her fathers had decided to spend the weekend at a hotel in Port Angeles, not that she could blame them; they needed some time to come to terms with the changes in their lives and they wanted some time alone. Of course, they trusted Hermione more than enough to take care of herself, not that it mattered when she had two wolves _and_ a vampire for protectors.

This just left Jacob and Hermione alone, and they could be found in the same position they had been in over the last few days, with Jacob sitting with his back pressed against the headboard and Hermione straddling his lap, his hands roaming her body and hers buried in his hair as they kissed each other until they could no longer breathe and they had to pull back for air.

They stared at each other, Jacob's eyes were dark and lustful and she knew what he was feeling, not only was she well aware of the fact that her clothed centre was pressed against the hard length covered by his jeans, she could feel the anticipation within her, she could feel her magic swirling through her, pushing her to complete the bond but she was hesitant.

"I'm fine," he said, already knowing what she was thinking as they'd had the same discussion several times over the last week.

She sighed. "I don't want to put you at risk of injury; Carlisle said no strenuous activity for a few..."

"Days," he interrupted. "I know, but it's been almost a week now. Why're you stalling? I know you're worried but I also know that you know I'm fine, I'm even back to patrolling with the pack and I have been for days."

She bit her lip and his eyes fell to watch the movement. "I don't want to push you into anything or make you feel as though you have to do something. I don't want to put pressure on you or make you uncomfortable."

"I think you're forgetting I'm the one that brought the subject up in the first place. If I didn't want to complete our bond then I never would've said anything. I'm happy with the decisions I've made since meeting you and I'm happy in my life. I can never and would never regret anything that reminds me of you, or that associates with you. I'm a little uncomfortable over the fact you're more experienced than I am but it's something I'll get over, just as my confidence will grow."

She took a deep breath before climbing off him and walking to the door, he frowned at the action, thinking she was rejecting him again. When she reached the door, she turned back to look at him and with her eyes locked on his, she closed the door until it 'clicked'. She slowly made her way back to him, pulling her t-shirt over her head, revealing to him her taut stomach, the scars she possessed and her breasts held in the purple lace of her bra.

"Alright, no more stalling," she agreed.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Friday 15th December 2006**

All at once, his heart sped up, his eyes widened and he forgot how to breathe as he watched Hermione slowly cross the room in bare feet, wearing the blue skinny jeans that clung to her body, seeing he ivory skin of her stomach taut and scarred, and her breasts held snugly in the purple lace of her bra while her hair hung over her shoulders in thick, messy ringlets.

"Jacob, breathe," she instructed, her tone one of worry.

Suddenly remembering how to breathe, he took a lungful of oxygen and almost choked in the process, his eyes watering slightly and his vision blurring as she stopped beside the bed with a frown on her face.

"If you're already this nervous and I haven't even touched you yet, how are you going to cope when..." She gave a shriek of surprise when he reached out, took a hold of her wrist and gently tugged at her until she fell on his lap.

Before she could scold him his mouth crashed against hers, cutting off her remark and proving that whilst he'd momentarily lost thought and gotten distracted, he was fine. He was nervous but his reaction hadn't been due to nerves, it was more to do with the disbelief and anticipation of completing their bond. He'd imprinted on her and ever since, he'd been unable to think about anything but her and _being_ with her. He couldn't believe that it was finally happening!

With his arms wrapped around her, he lowered her onto the bed and covered her body with his, her hands alternated between tugging at his hair, gripping at his shoulders and wrapping around his neck to keep her to him, not that he planned on pulling away from her.

A growl rumbled in his chest when she tore her mouth from his to place teasing nips and kisses across his jaw, down his neck and up to his ear, where she nibbled at his earlobe and sucked it into her mouth. He couldn't stop his response and of their own accord, his hips bucked forward. A soft little moan fell from her mouth and travelled straight to his length. Her grip on his shoulders tightened momentarily and she shifted beneath him as she hooked her legs over his hips and crossed them behind his back, keeping her to him.

He brought her mouth back to his and his tongue slipped past her parted lips to meet with hers. Hermione released her grip on his shoulders as they moved across the expanse of his back and shoulders, slipping around to his chest as they tickled against his skin, and he followed her cues, lowering himself off his elbows until he was flush against her and cradled between her legs. His hands trailed up her sides, skimmed over some of her scars before reaching the intended destination of her breasts as he covered them with his hands, massaging and kneading gently, being mindful to not hurt her with his superior strength whilst she voiced her approval at his touch.

She arched her back and pressed her chest against him and he took the invitation, slipping his hands underneath her to unclip the fastenings on her bra and pulling it away from her until it found a home elsewhere on the floor. He drew back from her mouth and gazed down at her, his eyes trailing her half-naked form, seeing her eyes closed, her hair fanned across the pillow, her lips swollen and red and her chest rising and falling with every breath she took. He honestly believed he'd never seen anything more beautiful, and then his eyes locked onto her bare chest.

"You okay?"

He lifted his eyes to her, seeing her amused expression. In response, he captured her mouth once more and his hands found their way back to her breasts, just as hers found their way into his hair, pulling and tugging on the strands.

He would never admit it but he'd been secretly doing some research on sex, and as a teenage boy, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't kept himself company or given himself a helping hand, and for that, he'd watched a fair few _inappropriate_ videos online when he'd been sure he was alone, not that those woman compared to his Hermione because no one did or ever could.

He'd been beyond embarrassed when Paul came to him offering to talk to him about sex but he'd known it was coming; despite Paul's attempts to keep it a secret, Jacob had seen some of his and Hermione's conversation through the mind link, so he'd been expecting it, but that didn't make it any less uncomfortable. Despite that, he was grateful no matter how awkward the conversation had been.

He could barely look Paul in the eye but he knew his packmate had just wanted to help him, and he had to some extent and it paid off when much to Hermione's noises of surprise and pleasure, he pulled his mouth from hers and his lips blazed a trail of nips and kisses down her neck, over her collar bones and down to her breasts, where he took a nipple into his mouth.

She moaned and arched into him, her grip on his hair tightening. He looked up at her, seeing her half-lidded eyes watching him with surprise and lust, and he focused his attention on drawing more sounds from her. Her eyes fluttered closed and she gave way to the surprise and just focused on what he was doing to her, of the feeling of his hot hands and mouth on her body.

She felt his hands moving down her stomach until they stopped at the waistband of her jeans and she removed her hands from his hair, trailed them over his shoulders and around to his stomach, and she pushed him back from her. He didn't look pleased until she unbuttoned her jeans and shifted them over her arse and hips and he pulled them the rest of the way off before returning to covering her body with nips and licks.

Now all that separated them was her knickers and his jeans and she could easily feel the hardened length of him pressed against her centre as he was cradled between her thighs. She gasped in surprise when she felt his hand slip beneath her underwear and skim her slick folds. Her eyes darted to his face, seeing his expression being one of enrapture of her responses and also concentration as he focused on what he was doing, likely recalling the night they'd learned more about each other's bodies. She shifted into his touch and it spurred on his movements as he found her nub and applied pressure, she jolted and bucked into his hand and she moaned, the sound ringing in his ears.

Upon seeing and hearing her response to his actions, he was careful as he slipped a finger into her, followed by another, watching the way he affected her, watching the way her skin flushed pink, her eyes closed and she wriggled beneath him, rocking her hips in time to the thrusts of his fingers. When her hands reached up to his jeans and unbuttoned and unzipped them, his free hand moved from gripping her hip to stop her from slipping her hand into his jeans. Her eyes opened briefly to see him shaking his head.

"No, this is all about you. You first," he spoke, his voice was different, she noted. It was deeper, huskier, there was a growl at the end of his words and his eyes were dark, yet also bright with the way they reflected in the light of the floating candles in the room.

She was curious about his words but decided not to question him, wondering if it was something to do the talk she knew he'd had with Paul. Paul had told her he'd spoken with Jacob but he didn't divulge anything else, which made her wonder what it was they'd spoken about specifically.

She remembered her first time with her boyfriend, they'd both been virgins and she remembered how he'd been adamant that he'd bring her to orgasm beforehand and she understood why afterwards; not only had it helped her to relax enough for the sex itself, her boyfriend had wanted her to have pleasure, too, since he hadn't lasted longer than a few minutes. Of course, it only improved from then on but she believed she understood Jacob's intentions, so she didn't argue.

She slipped her fingers in the belt loops on his jeans and pulled him back to her, claiming his mouth in a kiss as he brought her to the very edge. The coil within her was wound tightly and she needed release, her magic was flooding through her veins, burning, tingling, fluttering in anticipation to their bond that was soon to be complete.

She unwrapped her legs from him and they fell on either side of his body and she tilted her hips and rocked into his hand, his thumb putting pressure on her nub and then she was gone. Her nails dug into his shoulders and her eyes squeezed shut tightly as she saw stars behind her eyelids, she heard both of their hearts beating loudly and she was aware of her cry of release being caught and swallowed by Jacob's mouth.

She slumped into the mattress with heavy breathing and a pounding heart trying to escape her chest. She felt Jacob remove his hands from her body and there was a shift on the bed but she didn't open her eyes, not until she felt him hovering over her and looking down at her.

Her eyes opened to see him staring at her with dark adoring and lust-filled eyes. She could feel the heat of his abnormally hot body radiating over her, he held himself above her on his hands as kneeled between her legs.

"Why are you blushing?" She asked, bringing her hand up to trail his cheek and he leaned into her touch.

"I'm not," he denied.

Her mouth twitched into a smile. "No? My mistake," she said amused.

He ended her words by capturing her lips with his and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto her, only becoming aware of the fact that he'd removed his jeans, leaving Hermione in her knickers and Jacob in his boxers. Her fingers skimmed across his skin before coming to a stop at his underwear, where she slipped her hand beneath to wrap around his length and she pumped her hand over him. He groaned into her mouth and his hands gripped at her hips before releasing to run over her body. When his hand moved to hers, she knew he didn't want to wait anymore.

"No more stalling," he whispered, pulling his mouth from hers to lock his gaze with hers. Her eyes searched his, seeing if it was what he wanted, seeing if he seemed hesitant in any way. He didn't.

"No more stalling," she agreed, and his mouth captured hers once more. She removed her hand from his underwear and folded her arms around his neck before she mumbled, " _Divesto_ ," against his mouth and the rest of their clothing vanished.

"That's handy," he muttered before they both grew lost in the kiss.

She shifted beneath him, opening her legs wider to better accommodate his larger frame and a gasp fell from her lips at the same time a growl rumbled in his chest when the tip of his length nudged at her folds. She snaked her hand between them and took him in her grasp and after a few pumps of her hand, she guided him to her, coating him with her arousal before the head pressed against her entrance.

Jacob drew back from her and their eyes locked as she guided him into her, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into her body, encouraging him to push the rest of the way into her and she hooked her legs over his calves. A rumbled growl from deep within his chest was heard as her tight, warm, wetness engulfed him to the point of it bordering on painful. Hermione gasped and she choked on a moan that was caught in the back of her throat at having him stretching her to the point where she thought he was going to split her in half.

He clung to her just as tightly as she clung to him, his head buried in her neck, trying to get used to the new feeling of being surrounded so tightly, trying to get used to being connected to Hermione in such a way that it was overwhelming to his bond with her. He could hear both of their hearts beating, he could smell her arousal mixed with the scent of strawberries and vanilla, but she also smelled like _him,_ which his wolf was more than pleased with, and he was doing his best to control his wolf instincts to rut against her. He couldn't do that to her, she was worth more than that.

"You okay?" Her voice was soft, musical and breathless.

He breathed deeply before lifting his head from her shoulder to look at her. She was biting at her lip with a pained-pleasure expression on her face.

Fuck! Had he hurt her?

"Are you?" He replied, his voice raspy from the effort of controlling his wolf.

She nodded, her eyes half-lidded. "Yeah, I'm just not used to being with someone as thick as you," she mumbled, not only inflating his ego but when she shifted and wriggled her hips to get used to the feeling, he felt her walls flutter around him, squeezing him momentarily. His eyes closed and he clenched his teeth as he held back a choked groan.

"It's alright, you can move," she said softly. He opened his eyes to see that the pained looked was no longer there.

She squeaked in surprise as with his arms still wrapped around her, he used his considerable strength to roll himself onto his back and pull her on top of him and she looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not risking it, not yet," he muttered.

She understood; sex with Paul was a lot easier, not only because he was comfortable in his self and his skills, abilities and knowledge, and he was more experienced, but also because he'd learned how to control his superior strength during a time where emotions tended to take over, so he wouldn't accidentally hurt her. Not only was Jacob inexperienced compared to her, he hadn't been in _any_ sexual situations which allowed him to learn how to control his strength. He didn't want to hurt her with his strength so she was the one that had to be in control, at least for now.

She didn't speak but lowered herself until she was flush against him, changing the angle of her body and she bit her lip and took a deep breath before opening her eyes and locking gazes with Jacob. He lifted his head and brought their mouths together and when they grew lost in their kiss, Hermione began to move over him, knowing that their first time was more about him than it was her.

His hands flew to her hips and he squeezed a little too tightly but she was careful not to alert Jacob to the fact, though she would be sure to hide the bruises that she'd likely have in the morning.

She pulled her mouth from him and sat up, bringing her hands to his chest for balance and with their gazes locked she continued with her movements. Jacob's hands began roaming her body and after a while, she could feel him twitching inside of her, she could see the expression he wore on his face, she could hear his heart pounding loudly and his breathing being heavy. She could see the blush that covered his cheeks and the way his jaw clenched, and she knew he was on the edge.

She scraped her nails down his stomach and his eyes flew to hers at the action. She lowered her head, bringing her mouth to his jaw where she nibbled and kissed her way to his neck until she latched onto the sensitive skin close to his ear and she was sure to leave a mark, even though it would be gone within the hour.

His breath hitched and when Hermione took his earlobe between her teeth, his hands flew to her hips, gripping painfully tight, his hips bucked beneath her and a growl rumbled in his chest as he tipped over the edge. When his grip on her loosened, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto his chest, hugging her sleepily and they held each other in silence for a short while.

"You didn't..."

"No, but you expected it, that's why you made sure to take care of me first," she said, lifting her head and resting her chin on the back of her hand as they locked gazes. He seemed surprised that she knew his intentions. "Don't feel bad about it; it was your first time. When I lost my virginity back in school, my partner had been a virgin, too. And just like you, he took care of me first especially since it helped me to relax and it bloody hurt," she grouched the last part. "After a few times, you start to learn to control your need, or at the very least, to hold off for longer periods of time. Stamina improves, not that it matters for you," she said wryly. "You gain confidence in yourself and your abilities, just look at Paul, he hasn't always been experienced. The only difference is he was a man-whore before meeting me whereas you weren't. You won't experience anything sexual with anyone but me now, so we'll have to learn together. So don't be embarrassed or ashamed. I love you, and that's never going to change."

He reached up, pushing some of her hair over her shoulder and some behind her ear, gazing at her adoringly. "I love you, too."

"I know," she smiled. "You don't have to tell me, I see it every day. I see it in the way you take care of me, in the way you genuinely want to learn more about me and my magic. I feel it in the way you hold me in your sleep, and in the way you comfort me when I'm upset. But now, I can _feel_ it," she said softly, her other hand slipping over to his heart, feeling it beating beneath her palm. "I can't feel your emotions the way Jasper can, but I can more or less sense them, it's difficult to explain," she frowned.

"No, it's not, I know exactly what you mean," he assured her, bringing his hand up to grip at hers that rested over his heart. "We're bonded now and whilst nothing feels as though it's changed, it feels different. I feel closer to you, like I know what you're thinking or feeling. Like I know what your next move or thought is. I feel the need to be close you, just as I did before, only it feels different. It's more potent. Needed. Desired. It's just _more_."

She smiled at him. "Yes, it is," she agreed. "And if I am ever in danger, no matter where I am in the world, you'll know before I know it myself."

~000~000~000~

Jacob had long since fallen asleep and Hermione laid in bed beside him, his arm thrown over her waist and his breathing even and deep. He looked peaceful, happy; he had a smile on his face which made him look ridiculously adorable.

Her magic was swirling inside of her, still taking it's time to settle down after completing the bond with Jacob. Two-thirds of her heart and soul were now filled, and that just left one. And it was the most stubborn one, too, but she would get through to him eventually. She wasn't going to give up on him.

Her hearing picked up on footsteps in the tent, and as they made their way down the corridor, she expected her door to open but it didn't. Instead, they carried onto the spare bedroom and Hermione's brow furrowed, knowing that it was Paul.

She looked to the sleeping Jacob before she climbed out of his hold and summoned her red silk robe, slipping it on and fastening it around herself as she left her room and headed to the spare bedroom.

The door was still open and when she stepped inside, it was to see Paul taking off his shoes and yawning tiredly. He looked up when he noticed her presence, his eye roaming her figure with lust, love and adoration and he smiled at her, opening up his arms to her in invitation and she was quick to cross over to him, hugging him tightly.

"How was patrols?"

"Pretty uneventful since the battle but your security wards all but do our job for us."

He pulled back and sat himself on the bed, getting himself comfortable before Hermione followed after him, laying down beside him and snuggling into his warmth. It was winter and snow was forecast for the coming weeks, and even she had to admit that it was beginning to grew colder at night, even with magic to help fight off the chill, and she was only too grateful for her two wolves keeping her warm and toasty at night.

"You complete the bond?"

"How'd you know?" She asked.

He chuckled. "You smell like him."

"I've had a shower since," she frowned.

"You still smell like him," he shrugged his shoulders. "More than you usually do, it's probably what he and Cullen smelt when we completed our bond, and you've got that glow about you, too, the same glow you had after we'd done it. Everything alright?"

"Yeah,"

"What, no details?" He teased.

"Nope, not unless you can pry it from Jacob and we both know he's too embarrassed to ever discuss anything of the sort."

"Mind link," he chirped.

"Whatever," she said sulkily.

He laughed before his expression turned serious. "Honestly, _are_ you alright? I know how difficult it is for us to control our strength in these situations, particular the first few times. Did he hurt you?"

"Not really, he just held me a little too tightly."

"Let me see," he shifted away from her and sat up.

"I'm fine, they don't even hurt that much," she waved him off.

"Let me see," he repeated, it sounding more like an order than a request.

She sighed before sitting up and shifting, resting her legs over his lap and then laying back down as she lifted her robe and Jacob's t-shirt –which he was adamant she wear to bed after their shared shower- revealing to him the pink lace underwear she wore underneath, but also the hand and finger-shaped bruises she had on her hips, and the one she had on her left thigh from their second round of sex.

"Hermione," he sighed sadly, his fingers gently trailing over the bruises.

"It's fine," she shrugged.

"You know he didn't mean it, right?"

"Of course I do, I'd imagine that if you hadn't have been as experienced as you were before our first time, I'd have the same bruising, and even still, I remember the bruises you left on my stomach, thighs and chest."

"They were from my mouth," he replied, his mouth twitching in amusement.

She shrugged her shoulders. "My point is, I know he didn't mean it. He's the strongest member of the pack, it's going to be difficult for him to learn to control his strength during sex but he'll get the hang of it eventually. Until then, I'm going to have to apply some Bruise Removal Paste and glamour them until they're gone, I don't want him getting upset and thinking that he hurt me. They should be gone within a couple of days, I didn’t catch them quickly enough to prevent them from fully forming. We don't tell him, agreed?"

"Agreed," he nodded.

"And I'll take care of Edward. When he finds out Jacob left bruises, he's going to flip his lid but I'll handle it and he'll behave."

"Yeah, because he's terrified of you," he chuckled and she shrugged in response.

"Why didn't you come to bed?"

"I didn't want to disturb you in case you were busy; the door was shut so I didn't risk it."

"Are you coming to bed now? He's asleep."

He shook his head. "No, you've completed your bond, it's you he's going to want to wake up to in the morning, not me. You should have this time alone together 'cause I don't doubt he's gunna want to go for another round with you when he wakes. I know I did and we would've if he hadn't have been there."

She smacked his arm and he laughed at her. "If I remember correctly, you got exactly what you wanted after school on that same day."

" _Several_ times, if my memory serves me right," he agreed, a smirk pulling at his mouth.

"Oh, honestly," she sighed. "I'm going to have you both at it now. I'm actually glad Edward's still being a stubborn hippogriff," she huffed and he snorted at her.

"You should get some sleep, you look exhausted."

"And so should you," she replied. She sat up and kissed him. "Love you,"

"Love you, too," he muttered, giving her a proper good's night kiss that left her dizzy, before she found her way back to her room and a sleeping Jacob, who immediately took her in his arms once she'd climbed back into bed, his heartbeat and warmth lulling her into a peaceful sleep.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Saturday 16th December 2006**

Hermione made a sleepy humming sound and her eyes fluttered open when she heard a curse that was followed by a 'thud.'

She blinked the sleep away from her eyes to see Paul glaring at the floor and the mug he'd dropped, the contents spilt over the floorboards.

"What're you breaking now?" She said sleepily.

His eyes darted to her and his glare softened as he smiled at her.

"Good morning," she smiled.

He approached the bed and crouched down at the side so he was eye level with her, and he reached out to push her curls back from her face.

"Morning," he mumbled, trying to be quiet so he didn't wake the slumbering Jacob who was currently wrapped around her, but if him dropping the mug hadn't woken him, he supposed nothing would.

"I repeat, _what_ are you breaking now?"

"Nothing, I dropped your mug," he shrugged. She raised an eyebrow. "I thought I'd bring you some tea knowing you'd be up soon. Third milk, no sugar, so hot it'll blister your tongue." She smiled widely and it put a smile on his face. "Sorry, I kind of got it everywhere," he said sheepishly.

"That's fine; it won't take long to clean up."

"Just thought I'd give you some warning, Cullen texted me, they'll be here soon."

"I suppose I better get up then," she sighed.

Paul rose to his full height and stepped back, allowing Hermione room once she'd managed to climb out of Jacob's hold and he made a sound of disapproval.

"Know the feeling," Paul muttered.

Hermione smacked him on the arm before flicking her wand and cleaning up the mess on the floor as she disappeared behind the mirrored doors that hid her wardrobe.

~000~000~000~

"Don't think about it," Hermione muttered to Paul as they were both in the kitchen, Paul helping her to plate up the food for the pack who'd come for their usual morning visit before they headed out for the afternoon to spend time with their imprints and friends.

"I'm trying not to," he muttered back, turning his head to look over his shoulder and seeing the pack and Cullens conversing and laughing, but his eyes were solely on Edward.

"Try harder," she instructed.

"I need a distraction, I'm trying _not_ to think about it and now I _can't_ stop thinking about it."

She rolled her eyes before stepping in front of him so she could reach the pot of freshly made coffee and the plate of bacon that sat next to it. She heard his intake of breath and his free hand gripped at her hip, pulling her back into him.

"That's the kind of distraction I'm _always_ happy to have," he muttered into her ear.

She snorted at him. "Stop being a prat, I didn't do it on purpose, your freakishly large frame was in the way."

He chuckled. "Hermione, we've been over this before. You know what they say about guys with big feet."

She turned around to face him, a smirk pulling at her mouth. "Yes, we have, and I'd be careful if I were you, otherwise, you'll be face planting the floor again and this time it won't be a soft landing."

A sudden cheer of laughter chorused in the room and they turned to see the pack all watching them and laughing loudly.

"I remember that," Jared said, looking between the two of them amused. "I've never seen Paul fall for anyone before," he smirked.

"Like literally _fall_ ," Embry shot in. Paul scowled at them, whilst the Cullens looked torn between amusement and confusion.

"See? They know what happens when you get cocky," Hermione said, patting him on the chest before moving away from him. "Right, boys, breakfast's ready." The laughter morphed into cheers and she shook her head. Honestly, you'd think they weren't fed at home.

~000~000~000~

"Don't think about it," Hermione muttered as Paul sat next to her at the dining table and her eyes were trained on Edward as he talked with Jasper about one of her books in the living room.

"I'm not, I'm thinking about something else," he replied, looking down at her with a smirk curving his lips and his eyes suggestive.

"I'm not even going to bother asking," she rolled her eyes.

He grinned before placing a kiss to her cheek and going back to his food.

Suddenly and without warning, Edward's head and eyes snapped up and they searched the room, landing on Jacob before moving to her and then back to Jacob.

"You thought about it!" Hermione hissed, elbowing Paul in the side in annoyance and punishment.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," he muttered.

She glared at him before quickly standing from her chair and she approached Edward with her wand grasped in her hand. She stepped in front of him until he looked up at her, a furious expression held on his face.

"Edward, why don't we have a chat?" She spoke with a smile but they all knew it wasn't a suggestion.

She reached out and grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him behind her and out of the tent. They were all aware that he could've easily stopped her if he wanted to but when she had her wand in her hand, it didn't bode well for anyone.

Before he could say anything, she apparated them far away from the tent and near the cave she'd found during her explorations all those weeks ago. When they landed on their feet, she casually leaned against a tree, her eyes observing him carefully as he paced back and forth, barely at human speed. She winced when a tree suddenly found itself slamming against the floor and he swivelled around to face her, his eyes dark and his face twisted in anger.

"He hurt you!" He snarled.

She rolled her eyes, he was being far too overdramatic for her liking. "No, he left a few marks, he didn't hurt me. I was expecting it to be honest. Unlike Paul, Jacob hasn't had the experience, he hasn't had a chance to learn to control his abilities in highly emotional situations, such as completing the bond with me."

"I'm going to kill him!"

"You're being unreasonable," she sighed.

"Unreasonable!" He growled.

"Yes, unreasonable. It's my fault, not his. I should've taken a Strengthening Potion beforehand and I didn't. I won't make that mistake again, particularly when we come to completing the bond." He glared at her. "I have all of three bruises and they'll be gone in a few days. Honestly, Sirius and Remus have given me far worse injuries during our training sessions," she tried to reason with him.

"I'm still going to kill him!"

"No, you're not. If you do, that'll hurt me, too. You aren't going to tell him either, he doesn't know about the bruises and I don't want him to. You have no idea how difficult it was for me to build his confidence up and I won't be having you ruining my hard work. I don't want it mentioned to _anyone_ at all, especially Jacob. Paul knows and he's going to do his best to help Jacob with controlling his strength until he's fine. I suspect he will be in a few weeks."

"You're not telling me you're going to sleep with him again!" He growled in disbelief and anger.

She rubbed at her temples, feeling a headache forming. "Of course I am, you idiot. He's my soul bond, my boyfriend and I love him. Don't be getting jealous. You're the one that has reservations about completing the bond, not me. I'm waiting on you."

He blinked slowly at her words.

"I don't have reservations; I just don't want to hurt you."

"You won't,"

"Black did," he snapped.

"By accident, and you won't hurt me, I'll make sure to take my potions this time. I sometimes forget the boys have super strength; it was my fault and not his. Now, you can stay here until you've calmed down and you can think about what you've done."

She turned and apparated, leaving him alone in the middle of the woods, staring at the spot she'd previously occupied in surprise, anger and disbelief that she'd spoken to him as one might a naughty child.

~000~000~0000~

**Sunday 17th December 2006**

"Papa, Alpha!" Hermione cried, jumping up from her place on the couch in-between her two wolves so she could hug them in greeting.

"Snowflake," Sirius grinned, pulling her into a hug the moment she was close enough to do so.

"How was your trip?" She asked.

She was passed over to Remus and the moment he wrapped his arms around her, he stiffened and Hermione silently cursed. When she pulled back, Remus' eyes were glowing amber.

"Why's it so tense in here?" Sirius asked, looking about the room with a slight frown.

His eyes swept over the two shape-shifters, seeing them completely relaxed and happy before falling to Edward and seeing him glaring murderously at Jacob. He turned his eyes to Remus when he heard a low growl rip from the back of his throat. Upon hearing that sound, seeing Remus' amber eyes, Edward glaring at Jacob and the teenager looking happier than he'd seen him, his eyes then darted to Hermione, seeing her happy smile and the slight glow that surrounded her. The pieces slotted into place.

"Ah," he muttered in understanding, his eyes observing Remus carefully.

" _Why_ do you smell like the pup?" His voice was tainted with a growl. This wasn't Remus, this was Moony.

Hermione stepped back from him and looked at him calmly. "We do share a bed, Alpha," she replied evenly.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You _smell_ like him. You've had sex, haven't you?"

"We've completed our bond," she confirmed unabashedly.

A snarl ripped from him and before his temper could show, Sirius grabbed him by the collar and wrestled him out of the room, locking and warding them in their bedroom until he calmed down.

"That went well," Hermione said cheerfully, walking back over to the couch and plonking herself down in-between her wolves.

Paul snorted, Edward was still glaring at Jacob, mind, he'd been doing so since Saturday morning, and Jacob had a fear-stricken look on his face.

"He's going to kill me," he whispered, staring at the ground in terror.

Paul snorted once more and Hermione slapped at his knee, glaring at him before turning her attention to Jacob.

"No, he's not. That was just Moony pushing his way through. He'll calm down sooner or later."

"You're his cub, no matter how old you are," he muttered.

"That's true, but he knows not to harm you. I won't be happy if he does." The three teenagers snorted at her. "He'll be fine; I mean, Paul's still alive."

"Only 'cause Sirius threw up a shield in front of me, otherwise, I would've been turned into a cockroach."

"See, he does like you," she said. They looked at her incredulously. "If he didn't, he would've hung you up upside down by your toes and left you naked in the woods."

They stared at her, eyes wide and mouth parted as she'd said those words so calmly.

~000~000~000~

**Wednesday 20th December 2006**

"That tickles," Hermione giggled and pulled back from Edward. She didn't know how they'd ended up in the positions they had but she wasn't complaining.

Whilst Jacob and Paul were out on patrols, this just left her with Edward, and at some point, they'd found themselves with Edward sat on her bed with back pressed against the headboard. Hermione was straddling his lap, honestly having no memory of how that'd happened since they'd been wrapped up in each other with light kisses and soft caresses for the last half an hour.

Edward chuckled, his cold fingertips running under her t-shirt and over the small of her back. It was the most he'd dared to touch her for fear of losing control, but it was progress. She took one hand from his shoulder and trailed her fingers across his jaw and cheek, seeing the way his eyes fluttered closed at the gentle caress.

"I'm glad you're no longer giving Jacob the death glare," she commented.

He opened his eyes and looked down, seeing the skin of her hip where her t-shirt had ridden up and it was free of bruises and marks.

"I told you they'd clear up," she shrugged.

He sighed. "Once I'd come to terms with what he'd done, I knew there was no point in being angry about it. Neither you nor Lahote seemed to be concerned, and I haven't seen any marks on you since. I knew if I continued with the way I was you'd eventually lose your temper and I didn't want to find out what you'd do to me."

She snorted. "It wouldn't be pleasant."

"I'd imagine not," he nodded in agreement.

"Well, thank you anyway. I know it's difficult for you and I'm happy you're trying, even if I do have to reign you in from time to time." He smiled at her and she felt her head go fuzzy from his god-like beauty.

She shook her head, her eyes locking onto his and seeing him with a truly peaceful and joyous look on his face. She'd kept it from him long enough. She needed to tell him.

She took a deep breath before taking his hands in hers and lacing their fingers together, feeling the way his ice-cold skin sucked the heat from her body, but she didn't care, it was a welcome feeling after being surrounded by her wolves. She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his and without warning, she dropped her mental shields.

She heard him make a surprised sound in the back of his throat as he was suddenly flooded with her thoughts, though only one mattered and it was the loudest.

_'I love you. I love you. I love you.'_

He pushed her back from him slightly so he could look her in the eyes and she smiled at him softly.

 _'I love you,'_ she thought once more, ensuring that not only could he hear her thoughts, but that he could hear the emotion and truth behind those words.

He took a deep breath, not that he needed it. It was likely out of habit that he did so.

"I love you," he muttered quietly, so quietly that if she didn't have the hearing she did she wouldn't have heard him.

 _'I know you do; I see it in the way you protect me. I see it in how possessive you are of me, in the way you're angered when I'm hurt or upset, in the way you'll argue with Jacob due to a difference in opinions over my safety, in the way that you can have a civil conversation with Paul, or the way you treat my fathers with kindness and respect. I know you want me to be happy, and I am. I'm happy and it's partially because of you. I love you for everything that you are and everything that you're not, even if it means I have to set your arse on fire from time to time.'_ He snorted at her. _'We've got a long life of us being together, whether I remain a witch or I'm turned. I don't particularly mind so long as I have you until my last dying breath.'_

He took another deep breath, her words warming his cold, dead heart. "You'll always have me," he promised, his eyes closing for a brief moment and when they opened, she saw a spark of resolution come to life in the golden orbs. "I want to complete our bond."

She stared at him, unable to formulate a response and it pulled a chuckle from him. He could've said anything else in the world and it wouldn't have affected her, but with those words, he'd not only made her speechless, but she also seemed to have frozen in place, as if she'd been hit with one of those Stunning Spells she and her fathers were always casting.

"You...You do?" She managed to respond.

He nodded slowly. "Not yet though, I think we should work up to it so I can test my control. I don't want to run into the situation blindly and accidentally hurt you, even if you do have your magic potions."

A breathtaking smile overtook her face and he found his face being smothered by her curls as she flung herself at him and hugged him tightly.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 7

**Wednesday 20th December 2006**

"What is it, Snowflake?"

Sirius lifted his eyes from the magazine that previously had his attention and Remus did the same with his book. They were both in their pyjamas and lounging on their bed with their backs propped against the headboard and pillows. She stepped into their room and closed the door behind her, knowing that their room also had a permanent Silencing Charm on it as long as the door was closed. She approached the bed and climbed on, shuffling until she was sat in-between them and she leaned against Remus' side.

"Everything alright, Cub?" Remus asked, frowning slightly when he saw the way she nibbled at her lip and fiddled with the edge of her t-shirt.

"I've been thinking," she started.

"About?" They both prompted.

She sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. "Our positioning here." Her fathers shared a look over the top of her head. "I like it here. This is home now, and even if we did have the chance to return to England, I don't think I'd want to leave; I can't leave Paul and Jacob. I know Edward can easily come with me but they have a responsibility to their pack and it wouldn't be right to pull them away from their pack and families, even though I know they'd uproot their lives for me without question or thought. I'm happy here."

"We know, and we've been talking lately, we've decided that when the time comes and we're free to return to England, it's your decision whether we stay or go."

"I don't want you to stay here just for me. I don't want to be the thing that's keeping you from going home."

"Snowflake," Sirius muttered softly, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "England has nothing to offer us. Here we have a new start. We have peace, we have friends that are not children or teenagers, no offence." She waved him off. "We like Carlisle and Esme, Jasper's great for Remus, and I like Emmet." She rolled her eyes, not in the least bit surprised by his confession about the huge, mischievous vampire and Remus' mouth twitched at her response. "Alice is a little pixie that flitters about the place and Rosalie... Well, she's Rosalie." Hermione snorted. "She's even more vindictive than you." She slapped at his chest. "And now we have a pack through the wolves. And you, you've got friends that care for you, you've got people that love you, and you've found your soul bonds. We'd never contemplate taking that away from you. If you want to stay, we have no problem in doing so. To be honest, we'd prefer it."

"We're staying?" She questioned quietly.

"We're staying," they both confirmed and a relieved smile pulled at her face.

"I'm tired of hiding; I just want it to be over. The thing with the Cullens and pack is over and done with now and they're no longer in danger. I don't want to have to hide my identity anymore. I don't want to just sit here, waiting for our enemies to finally track us down and kill us."

"You have a plan?" Remus said knowingly.

She bit her lip thoughtfully. "Kind of, it's not completely full proof, more of an idea."

"And?"

"I want to take a leaf out of Voldemort's book." They both raised their eyebrows. "I want to draw them to us. We'll purposely visit wizarding towns and we won't disguise ourselves, we'll be sure to get our faces recognised as much as possible and soon word will spread that we've come out of hiding."

"But then they'll come for us," Remus pointed out.

"They will, and we'll be ready."

They both stared at her. "You want to set a trap?" Sirius asked with a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Yes, if we use the same clearing as we did for the newborn army battle, it'll ensure no muggles are injured and there's plenty of space and we've spent a bit of time exploring the area, it's our home turf. That gives us an advantage, as does the Cullens and the pack; the Death Eaters don't know of their existence and with their help, we can have the battle over and done with quickly. We've survived a newborn attack, we can survive this."

"That does sound tempting," Remus muttered. He, just like Hermione and Sirius was tired of having to be in hiding, of being unable to correspond with his friends in the Order should their letters be intercepted.

"But what if not all the Death Eaters come? Then we're back to square one," Sirius asked.

"That's where Voldemort comes in, we use a Taboo." They blinked. "It's a rather difficult bit of magic, but between the three of us, I'm sure we can manage. And since we want to end this in one battle, we need them _all_ to arrive at the same time or around the same time."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"We can send charmed letters out with owls to deliver the letters to every known Death Eater and their associates. We can charm it so the letter can only be opened on a specific time and date, and when they do, they'll read the word which we'll use for the Taboo."

"And it'll bring them straight to us," Remus said, sounding both impressed and cheerful.

"And we'll be ready and waiting for them."

"We'll have to contact the Order, they'll need to approve of the plan but to be honest, it's the best option we have if we're to get our lives back," Sirius said. "And we need the numbers, the Death Eaters are likely to have recruited more members since the Final Battle."

"So, it's agreed? We set a trap and we get our freedom back?"

"Agreed," her fathers replied.

~000~000~000~

**Thursday 21st December 2006**

"This seems very formal," Carlisle observed from his place being perched on the couch beside his wife. The rest of his family and the pack were positioned on the couches or sat on the floor, whilst Sirius, Remus and Hermione stood before them all.

"We have something we wish to discuss with you," Hermione said.

"And that is?" Jasper asked, feeling the determination and longing coming from the three wizarding folk stood before them.

"I know we've recently been forced to deal with the newborn army situation, but my fathers and I have come to an agreement on an important matter."

"And that is?" He repeated with a cocked eyebrow.

She shuffled on her feet, the nervous gesture capturing their attention.

"We're tired of hiding," she said simply. "The Death Eaters are still looking for us and they're never going to stop, and sooner or later they'll track our location. We don't want to have to hide anymore. We want to be able to enter our world without putting ourselves and others at risk. We want to be able to be ourselves again. We want our freedom back."

"What're you trying to say?" Paul frowned, his expression looking as though he didn't actually want to hear the answer.

She sighed. "We've been making some plans in order to end our forced retreat. As I said, we don't want to have to hide anymore and be cut off from our world any longer."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Jasper asked, his mind running over possible battle strategies they might use, of course, he should've known his assumptions would be way off the mark.

"We set a trap," Remus answered.

"It was Hermione's genius idea that we take a leaf out of Voldemort's book," Sirius said, smiling down at her proudly and they all turned their eyes to her, waiting for her to explain.

"I'm sure we told you Voldemort used a form of magic known as a Taboo, in which a summons is tied into a word. When that word is spoken, someone is automatically summoned to your location, though travel and arrival times vary on the distance. In this case, we're going to reverse the purpose of the spell. Rather than us going to them, they're going to come to us; we'll draw them all to one specific location, at a specific time and date of our choosing, and we'll have one final battle to end it all. Should we succeed and survive, we'll have our freedom back, we'll no longer be at risk of being assassinated and peace will be achieved in the Wizarding World."

They all stared at her in surprise. Yes, Jasper most certainly hadn't thought that up.

"How will you get them to say the word you want them to?" Sam asked, sitting up and leaning forwards slightly, his elbows propped on his knees.

"We'll have the word written on a charmed piece of parchment and we'll send a letter to every known Death Eater and their associates. Owls are very clever animals, we may not know their locations but owls can find anyone and they can't be tracked during their journey but they can be intercepted."

"If they receive their letters at different times, they'd arrive at different times," Jared frowned, also leaning forward slightly.

"As I said, we can charm the parchment and this will mean the letter can only be opened on a specific time and date, until then the magic will protect the letter. When the charm activates we'll be well prepared and we'll be ready for them."

"Will they be aware of what's happening to them?" Edward asked.

"It's not likely, though by the time they arrive they'll be too busy being drawn into battle to even care they've been pulled into a trap. This gives us a major advantage over them. We choose the location, the date and time, we have time to prepare and train, and we have the element of surprise. We've decided on the clearing where the newborn army battle took place. We've spent a lot of time there and we've explored it a little, too, not only do we know the environment, it'll keep muggles safe. And to prevent them from escaping when they arrive, we'll erect Anti-apparition wards as well as Anti-port key wards. The only way out will be on foot or through flying and to be honest, I doubt they're carrying brooms with them."

"We're letting you know our plans as a warning. We would never dream of asking you to fight with us, particularly since it isn't your battle, but if you wish to we'd owe you a life debt and that's something us wizarding folk take seriously. You can call in a life debt at any time in your life and the wizard or witch is unable to refuse, unless it involves using an Unforgivable or committing a crime that will harm another. A life debt is a form of magic, similar to that of a wizard's oath," Sirius explained.

They blinked in surprise.

"Well, obviously we're not going to let you do this by yourselves," Jacob spoke, gesturing between himself, Paul and Edward and receiving nods of agreement from the two teens.

"And we'd be more than happy to help you in this battle, seeing as you've done so much for us," Carlisle spoke kindly, purposely ignoring the way Emmet's eyes lit up at his words.

The three magicals looked at each member of the Cullen family for confirmation and they all nodded in agreement.

"And the pack will help, too," Sam spoke. The magicals looked to each member of the pack for confirmation, receiving nods from them.

"Not the pups," Hermione said.

"What!"

"Oh, come on, Hermione!"

"No! You're too young to be fighting in a battle such as this. You may continue to attend training sessions, observe and learn more about magic and our world, but I refuse to allow you anywhere near this."

Collin and Brady looked to Sam and he shook his head in agreement with Hermione, and they turned to Sirius and Remus with pleading expressions on their faces.

"Sorry, Pups, the boss has spoken," Sirius spoke.

"She's right, you won't be allowed anywhere near this. We may not have been able to prevent Hermione, Harry and Ron from fighting at that age, but we can you. You won't be getting injured and you won't be forced to deal with the nightmares we do," Remus spoke.

The pups grumbled and crossed their arms over their chests with a pout on their faces.

"So, do we have a date in mind?" Jasper asked.

"Not yet, Remus sent a coded message to the Order this morning, they probably won't receive it for another two or three days," Hermione answered.

"Why did you inform them of your plans?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"First of all, they sent us here for a reason, to protect us whilst they did their best to get Wizarding Britain back on track and track down the fugitive Death Eaters. We need their approval on the matter. Second of all, despite everyone in this room, we still don't have the numbers to be successful, we need more magic on our side and the Order can provide that. Third of all, the Order of the Phoenix is a family, we protect each other and there's not a chance they're going to allow us to go into battle without them by our side. And lastly, we started this together and we'll finish this together."

Everyone shifted in their seats.

"So what do we do whilst we wait for a response? Do you think they'll agree?" Jared asked.

"It's the best option we have available to us. We're running out of time, we bought ourselves six months at best when we left the Wizarding World, and unfortunately, they have a few fairly decent trackers on their side. Once they find us, that's it. This allows us to fight on our own terms," Sirius said.

"And in the meantime, whilst we wait for a reply, we're intensifying our training schedule," Remus said.

"Is that even possible?" Alice asked, sounding dubious. They'd all seen their training sessions and they couldn't understand how they could possibly make it more difficult.

"Yes," the three magicals replied together.

"If you are to fight with us, we need to ensure you've been observing carefully and learning about the different offensive and defensive magics we use."

"And how are you going to do that?" Quil asked.

"An exam, both written and verbal," Hermione replied to the many groans in the room and the adults chuckled. "I'll be marking them and should any of you receive less than ninety-five percent, we won't allow you to fight alongside us, it'll be too dangerous."

To Remus it was obvious they were going to argue and he stepped in. "She's being generous, she originally wanted to make it one hundred percent but we were able to compromise." They groaned again. "Once you've completed the exam papers, you'll be physically partaking in our training sessions." They all perked up at the news. "We need for you to be aware of what it feels like to have a spell either strike you or coming towards you. You need to rely on your knowledge and not only your reflexes and abilities. We all witnessed Hermione and Emmet's duel, and the winner was clear."

They smirked when Emmet made a grumbling noise and he crossed his arms childishly.

"Despite Hermione being a witch, she was at a disadvantage when up against Emmet, not only due to his vampire abilities and reflexes, but also due to his physical stature. She used her knowledge on the vampire species against him, as well as what she knew of his personal character," Sirius explained. "And for that reason, we'll also be teaching you of the Death Eaters and what we know about each one of them. If you know their thoughts before they do, you've already won." He explained. "Of course, with your abilities that will be a tremendous help," he said, pointedly looking at Edward, Alice and Jasper.

"I'll hear the thoughts of everyone present, I'll be able to warn those that are at risk," Edward nodded.

"I'll focus my visions the day before the battle, hopefully, I'll be able to see a few snapshots that can shed some light on the outcome of the battle," Alice said.

"I can try and manipulate their emotions in a way that it'll render them useless. If I can make them feel enough fear, it can cripple them and they'll be out of the fight, at least until they break free. I may be able to do the same with sleep and calmness. If I can calm them, put them in a sleepy, relaxed state, they won't have the energy or need to fight," Jasper said.

"Excellent," Sirius clapped his hands excitedly. "We'll head out for a training session after dinner. Pay very close attention as Hermione will be constructing the exams for you to take before school tomorrow morning." They groaned once more.

"First we'll start with the written exam and after school, you should return here as soon as possible, as we'll be doing the verbal examinations. As for the written exams, you won't be able to cheat. You'll each be given an exam paper with different questions and you'll be using an Anti-cheating quill. I'll place a Silencing Charm around each of you and you'll be sitting separately from each other. And no reading minds," she warned, her eyes moving to Edward and he nodded. "You can groan all you want but this isn't some stupid geometry test, it doesn't matter whether you pass, fail or cheat, you're never going to use that in real life. This is a life or death situation and cheating will be your downfall." They could see her point.

"The verbal examination will consist of Sirius and Remus demonstrating several spells that are more than likely to be used and you have to be able to identify them and its purpose. Some will be cast non-verbally. You'll need to be able to know them by name, by wand movements and by the colour of the beam emitted from the wand. This will save your life. It will be done one individual at a time, you will all wait here until one of us collects you, and you will be forbidden from speaking of the examination with the others with the use of the Langlock Charm. Once everyone has completed their examination, you will receive your marks, if you didn't get ninety-seven percent, you will have to repeat the examination the following day, and so on until you pass. And the same goes for the written examination. If it comes to the day of the battle and you've not passed both examinations by then, you can't partake. Clear?" The nods she received were her answers from the group. "Wonderful, now, give me twenty minutes and dinner will be done." She turned and walked to the kitchen, flicking her wand to the cupboards and food floated to the correct places.

"She's going to be a teacher someday, isn't she?" Embry commented.

"Possibly," Remus and Sirius shrugged.

"A scary one," Emmet muttered, earning sniggers from the others.

"I heard that!"

Emmet squeaked and he darted from the room as a green beam of light just missed his shoulder and slammed into the wall.

"Bat Bogey Hex," Sirius winced. "Nasty one that is, be grateful you moved in time."

"The what?" Alice frowned.

"It's basically flying snot bats that attack you," he shrugged and the others laughed in response.

"Is it safe to come out yet?" Emmet asked from his place in the corridor, peeking his head around the wall and into the room. He yelped and ducked back into the corridor as the yellow light slammed into the bookcase, rattling the contents.

"No!" Hermione called.

They looked to Sirius, seeing him wince.

"And that one?" Rosalie asked amused and not the slightest bit concerned for her mate.

"Trust me, you don't want to know, it's certainly not pleasant for anyone, the victim _or_ the observer," he grimaced.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Friday 22nd December 2006**

"She wasn't kidding," Jared muttered, standing in the living room with the rest of the pack and The Cullens, his eyes darting about their new and changed surroundings.

All of the furniture had been removed and replaced by single desks and chairs, enough for each of them and positioned in a way that would prevent anyone from trying to look at another's answers whilst they were doing the examinations they were expected to complete and pass should they wish to be a part of the fight.

"No, she wasn't," Paul spoke, stepping into the room after finishing with readying for the day. "She barely slept last night; she was too busy preparing the exam papers. I know for a fact she wrote each one by hand and she spent hours consulting her books. Between the three of us, we still weren't able to convince her to get some sleep. She's too worried about what's to come. She doesn't want anyone getting injured which is why she's so adamant that we all pass these exams before the fight is to take place. You need to take this seriously, we've only witnessed their training sessions and not a battle, we're at a disadvantage in that regard."

"Where is she?" Sam asked him.

"With Sirius and Remus, they wanted to get in an early training session before you arrived. They should be back soon."

~000~000~000~

"Take your allocated seats and no swapping, the exam papers all contain different questions for a reason," Hermione spoke.

She watched as each of them found their seats and sat down, eyeing the quill and turned over papers that sat on the desk in front of them.

"You only have an hour before you have to leave for school, if you don't finish before then, you may continue after school and you will be allowed another hour to complete the exam. There's to be no cheating which the Anti-cheating quill will take care of, and to prevent any disturbances and possible sharing of answers with your advanced hearing, you'll each have a Silencing Charm placed around you. The majority of these questions are multiple choice. Should you have a question, raise your hand and one of us will come to you. Clear?" They all nodded. "Excellent. We'll cast the charms around you and we'll give you the signal to begin."

Remus, Sirius and Hermione all drew their wands and with mutters and waves of their wands, they cast the Silencing Charms around each of them before Hermione signalled for them to begin.

They all turned over their papers, flicking through the pages to see just how many questions there were and their eyes widened at seeing that there were one hundred and fifty in total.

Paul, Jacob and Edward all looked up from their papers and glanced at one another before their eyes darted to Hermione. She was sat on the dining table, her legs crossed and chewing nervously at her fingernails whilst her fathers stood on either side of her, leaning against the table and conversing. The three turned their eyes back to each other before nodding in agreement to do their best to protect Hermione and keep her safe and happy.

They turned back to their papers, took a deep breath and picked up their quills.

~000~000~000~

"My head's fried," Embry said, walking out of the tent and through the wards along with the pack and the Cullens. He brought his hands up to his temples to try and stave off the headache.

"Mine too," Emmet muttered, also rubbing at his temples.

They snorted at him and Jared shoved him. "You're dead, you don't get headaches, idiot," he rolled his eyes.

"I can imagine having one," Emmet protested and shoved Jared in return.

"Boys, play nicely," Esme's soft voice flittered to their ears.

"Sorry," they both muttered and the others sniggered at their chastised expressions.

"Does anyone think they've passed?" Jacob asked.

"No," several voices replied.

"I didn't even finish mine, I only got up to question sixty," Quil commented.

"You got further than me, I only managed up to question thirty-five," Seth said and they snorted at him. "Did anyone actually finish?"

"I did," Jasper replied.

"No surprise there," Emmet muttered, only to be shoved to the side, crashing into Paul.

"Watch it, Tosspot," Paul grumbled, shoving Emmet back away from him.

"Tosspot? You've been spending too much time with Hermione," Jared commented amusedly.

"It's getting late, you better get to school, you can't give Burke any other reasons to expel you," Sam spoke up, looking directly at the pack.

Jared snorted whilst the pack sniggered. "Trust me, Sam, Hermione would never let that happen. Burke's afraid of her, she threatened him with the Black family lawyer for trying to expel Paul, and afterwards she had his father arrested," he said, recalling the memory fondly.

"Their lawyer doesn't mess around," Edward piped up. "He threatened to file a lawsuit against Bella for preventing Hermione from having a right to a private and social life and an education."

They blinked at him before shaking their heads.

"Still, you better get to school," Sam said.

"Great, do an exam, go to school to do more exams, to come back and do more exams, yay, fun!" Quil sighed.

"Get over it, it's for your safety," Paul said.

The Cullens and the pack each went their separate ways with Leah and Sam disappearing back to La Push and to their jobs.

"So, d'you want to tell us what's going on?" Jared asked Jacob.

"What'd you mean?" He frowned in confusion.

Jared shrugged. "There's a strange feeling coming from you, we noticed it a couple of days ago."

"And we've noticed that you seem...Calmer...Happier," Quil shrugged.

Jacob cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders. Embry watched him carefully before he stopped in his steps, rooted to the spot with wide eyes and a parted mouth.

"Why'd you stop?" Paul asked and they all halted in their steps and turned towards him.

A shit-eating grin spread across his face.

"Oh My God, you had sex, didn't you? You completed your bond with Hermione," Embry said.

Jacob shuffled on his feet and a blush covered his cheeks. Paul sniggered and amused smiles appeared on the others' faces.

"Oh, yeah?" Jared smirked.

Jacob nodded, looking awkward and highly uncomfortable with talking about his sex life with his imprint.

"How was it?"

A growl ripped from Paul's throat and Jared held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it, it just slipped out," he defended.

"Watch what you say," Paul warned. "Don't forget _who_ you're talking about."

"Our Alpha, I know," Jared nodded. "I said I was sorry and I meant it, you know I'd never disrespect Hermione like that. We love her." He turned to Jacob. "I'm happy for you," he said, patting him on the shoulder before walking off.

Quil and Embry both had large grins on their faces and they waggled their eyebrows suggestively before turning and following after Jared. Seth patted his shoulder sympathetically before leaving, too.

"If you ever reveal anything about her..." Paul warned.

"I would never," Jacob protested. "She's my imprint, too, I love her just as much as you do and I'd never betray her, and I'd never reveal her secrets or any details about our lives together."

Paul eyed him carefully. "If you ever do, I'll make it so you sleep on the couch for the rest of your life."

"Bit harsh," Jacob frowned.

"I can't hurt you without hurting Hermione, the only way I can get back at you is by preventing you from sleeping in her bed, denying you the need to touch and hold her whilst she sleeps. It wouldn't take much for me to convince her, either; she trusts my opinions and she listens to me. Just remember that." With one last withering look, Paul turned and walked off.

"Still think that's a bit harsh," Jacob muttered.

"Get over it!" Paul snapped over his shoulder.

~000~000~000~

"Right, everyone, quills down and turn your papers face down," Hermione instructed after removing the Silencing Charms from around their desks and watching as they did as she asked.

"We'll be marking your papers and in the meantime, we've placed several books on the kitchen table, all of which will be useful to you in some way; some may speak of spells and charms, others hexes and jinxes, some are more focused on the History of Magic, but most specifically, the last two Wizarding Wars of this century. Familiarise yourselves with them and you'll be aware of what you're up against. You may each take a book from the table and convene in the living room whilst we mark your papers."

~000~000~000~

Hermione, Sirius and Remus before the shape-shifters and vampires who were spread out in the living room, some perched on the couches and others on the floor.

"We've finished marking your papers, would you prefer to hear the results separately or as a group?" Hermione asked.

The group of shape-shifters and vampires seemed to glance at each other before shrugging collectively, something that was, admittedly, a little unnerving.

"Very well, as we said last night, if you failed this examination you'll need to do another until you pass. You can't physically partake in training until you've failed. Tomorrow morning, we will be doing the verbal examinations. You need ninety-five percent to pass the written, and ninety-seven percent to pass the verbal, clear?" Everyone nodded. "Excellent. Now," she looked down at the pile of papers in her hand before stepping forward. "Quil, unfortunately, you failed."

Quil shrugged his shoulders, not looking surprised by the news. "Thought I might, it was harder than I'd thought it would be."

"A lot of the questions I included are taught within the first three years of Hogwarts, most of them are for more advanced years, and the remaining are based on aspects that are never taught in school, which is why I'm not surprised you failed. But I have to say, for a first attempt, you did rather well. Fifty-five percent was your total," she responded, handing him his paper and allowing him to see all of her comments and corrections done in red ink.

"More than halfway, I'm happy with that," he shrugged.

"You should be, considering you haven't been exposed to magic long and you've no magical education, you did well," she praised. She looked down at the papers again. "Embry, Seth, Leah, you all failed as well." None of them looked surprised by her words. "You each received a total of fifty-four percent, again, not bad." She handed them their papers, allowing them the chance to look it through.

"Jared, Sam, unfortunately, you both failed, too. Jared, your total is sixty-one percent, Sam, yours is sixty-three percent, you should both be proud." She handed them their papers before turning to Paul and Jacob.

"I failed, didn't I?" Jacob said knowingly.

She gave him a soft smile. "Afraid so, fifty-eight percent," she said, handing him his paper.

"Well, at least I beat Quil and Embry," he cheerfully.

"Shut it!" His friends replied and sniggers followed from the others in the room.

"Don't worry, you'll get it, just as you did with my tutoring you in Spanish," Hermione spoke and she saw his mouth twitch and pull into a smile, obviously remembering the hours she had spent with him, 'helping to improve his grades'.

"Alright, give it to me, how badly did I do?" Paul asked, drawing Hermione's attention and he was surprised when she beamed at him.

"You failed,"

"Then why're you smiling at me like that?" He questioned bemused. She stepped forward and handed him his paper as a response. "Ninety-three? I got a ninety-three?" He spluttered, his eyes wide and staring at her in disbelief, briefly hearing the mutters and grumbles of surprise from the others.

"You did," she beamed. "And to be honest, I was quite harsh on you. I marked you down for poor handwriting; I couldn't even read some of your answers so I was unsure whether they were correct or not," she said and they snorted at her.

"She's right, it's bad," Sirius piped up in agreement. "Both Moony and I took a look and we couldn't read it either."

"Moving on, I bet Jasper just can't wait to see his results," Remus chuckled, seeing Jasper nod enthusiastically and they sniggered at him.

"Very well, Jasper," she flicked through the papers, deciding to put the poor vampire out of his misery. "As expected, you passed, well done. Ninety-five percent."

"What a surprise," Emmet muttered.

Jasper took the paper from Hermione, scanned it with his eyes to see which questions he'd made mistakes on before rolling the paper up and leaning over, using it to smack Emmet over the head.

"Boys, I'd appreciate it if you didn't ruin my furniture with your squabbles," Hermione chided, preventing a fight from occurring before she turned her attention to Carlisle and Esme.

"I know, Dear, we both failed," Esme said kindly, taking the papers from Hermione and handing Carlisle's off to him.

"You did, seventy percent and seventy-six percent respectfully," Hermione nodded and her eyes darted to Alice.

"I already know I failed, sixty-seven percent," she said knowingly and they rolled their eyes at her. Remus and Sirius snorted whilst Hermione chuckled and handed her the paper and then she turned to Rosalie and Emmet, the former of the two looking at her with an arched eyebrow.

"Rosalie, you failed, sixty percent," she said, handing the paper over before turning to Emmet.

"How badly did I do?" He asked, actually looking seriously which took Hermione by surprise given his goofy nature.

She blinked slowly before pulling his paper from the remainder of the pile and handing it over to him. "You passed, ninety-six percent."

"HA!" He exclaimed loudly, jumping from his seat and making an 'L' shape with his hand and aiming it at Jasper, much to the amusement of the others. "I passed and I beat you! The War Museum himself. How do you like them apples! You can kiss my fangs, Hale!"

Sirius was no longer able to control his laughter, Remus let out a chuckle and the others were rowdy with their laughter.

"Settle down!" Hermione called over the noise. "Emmet, don't wind him up or you'll be on the business end of my wand," she warned.

Emmet was sat down within the blink of an eye, he mimed zipping his lips before throwing away the key and Hermione rolled her eyes at him

"Idiot," Rosalie said and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Right, that just leaves Edward," she spoke, stepping forward.

"Pass or fail?" He asked.

She smiled at him softly, giving him his answer. "Fail, eighty-four percent." She handed him his paper and then stepped back. "Right, now that you all have your results, you're all aware of what you need to do to pass after seeing the questions that were given to you. I'll give you until tomorrow night to do a little more research, whether it's by reading through any of our books, speaking with us and asking us questions, or talking amongst yourselves. I'll have another test paper ready for you, and in the morning we'll be doing your verbal exams. I'll make dinner and afterwards, we'll head out for a training session. Since both Emmet and Jasper passed, they can participate."

Emmet rubbed his hands together with a wicked grin on his face.

"You know what she did to you last time, you and I both know you can't take her," Rosalie spoke, rolling her eyes.

~000~000~000~

**Sunday 24th December 2006**

"I'm bleeding," Emmet cried, sprawled out on the rough ground and staring up at the darkening sky.

Sniggers filled the area.

"You're dead, you don't bleed," Hermione spoke, moving over to him and looking down at him.

He turned his head to better see her. "I'm hurting all over."

"You're dead," she repeated, fiddling with her wand before slipping it into her pocket. "I think Emmet's had enough for this evening, so we're done for now," she said, turning back to the others who laughed and smirked as they threw teasing comments at the large vampire.

"I did tell you not to take her on," Rosalie spoke nonchalantly.

"Well, since it's Christmas tomorrow, we'll be taking a break for the next couple of days," Remus spoke, drawing their attention.

"And we should give Emmet a chance to recuperate," Sirius piped up.

Emmet scowled before pushing himself to his feet and brushing his clothes down, sending a slightly worried glance to Alice and Hermione barely held in her laughter as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Everyone have a lovely Christmas and take this chance to relax; we haven't yet heard from the Order and we don't know what may happen but it's expected any day now. So, Merry Christmas, and be careful when you open your presents," Hermione spoke.

"Presents?" The group chorused.

"Of course, did you really expect us not to get you presents? You'll find them in your rooms tomorrow morning, and as I said, be careful when opening them; they're of the wizarding variety," she explained, seeing the grins that broke out on their faces. "So, come hug me and then get yourselves home. Enjoy your time off."

One by one, they approached her and hugged her though Sam seemed reluctant to do so, but that didn't stop Hermione from pulling the larger man into a bone-crushing hug whilst the others sniggered at his clear discomfort. When everyone had finished saying their goodbyes, they prepared to leave until something stopped them; the sound of twigs breaking under a heavyweight.

With reflexes so quick it would've been impossible to see without their sight and speed, Hermione, Sirius and Remus were stood side by side with their wands aimed and a defensive stance in place.

They all turned their eyes to the point in the distance and listened as more twigs being crushed filled the otherwise silence. Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly, being grateful for her newly improved wolf senses making her eyesight far better than a regular human's. She took a step forward, feeling Remus' hand encircle her wrist and preventing her from moving any further, his protective wolf side making an appearance.

Without thought or communication, Sirius and Remus took several steps forward, putting them in front of Hermione and shielding her from view with their bodies and they altered the angle of their wands, their grip tightening and their eyes narrowing distrustfully, suspiciously when the one responsible for alerting them to its presence finally made an appearance.

Hermione peered around Sirius' shoulder and spied an average-sized fox with reddish-brown fur, white paws and a white stomach. She frowned slightly; something about that fox was familiar, she was sure of it.

The fox halted in its steps and sat itself down on the ground, its bushy tail swishing back and forth lazily and it lifted its head, its eyes locking onto her and trapping her in its gaze.

Bright blue eyes.

A gasp fell from her lips unbidden, her eyes widened and tears welled up, threatening to spill over and fall down her cheeks. Her wand arm fell down to her side and she tried to push past Remus and Sirius but both of them grasped her shoulders to prevent her from moving any further. Sirius gave her a less than impressed look and a growl of warning fell from Remus' lips as his eyes began to take that amber tone, showcasing Moony coming to the surface.

"You can put your wands away," she said, feeling overwhelmed. Surprised. Happy. Sadness. Hope. Loss. Too many emotions for her to cope with. "He's not going to hurt us." She pulled herself out of her fathers' grip. "Are you?"

The fox's mouth seemed to stretch as though smiling before Remus and Sirius had the breath knocked out of them, as the fox stood up on its hind legs and once more, became human.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 10

**Sunday 24th December 2006**

"You're alive; I can't believe you're alive!" Hermione spoke in a whisper of disbelief before she darted forward and away from her fathers before they'd the chance to hold her back.

She barrelled into their visitor, almost knocking them both to the ground with the force of the collision and she wrapped herself around them tightly, pressing her face into the soft fabric of their robes and being surrounded by the familiar scent of spice and smoke. A deep chuckle sounded and arms wrapped around her in return, holding her tightly to their body and a warm cheek pressed against the top of her head.

She was vaguely away of mutters of confusion, two low growls and a snarl but she didn't care. She was too busy convincing herself that it was real, that she was being hugged by one of her brothers in everything that blood. One of her brothers she'd convinced herself had died long ago and she'd never see again.

"Missed me, Spitfire?"

She pulled her face away from his robes and stared up at him, her eyes sweeping his face slowly, taking in every detail; shaggy red hair, pale skin, bright blue eyes that sparkled with mischief and a mouth pulling into a small smile.

"I can't believe you're here," she whispered.

His smile softened and he reached up, wiping away her fallen tears with his thumbs.

"Come now, Spitfire, you didn't honestly think we'd let you do this on your own, did you?"

" _We_?" She questioned, her breath hitching.

His smile widened and he nodded, turning to look over his shoulder and she followed his gaze. A second fox stepped out behind a tree, almost identical to the one before it, except this fox only had one ear.

She disentangled herself from his hold before darting around him and dropping onto her knees before the fox. She got lost in the bright blue gaze and raised a hand, gently running it over the fox's head, right where the other ear was meant to be. The fox shifted his head away from her slightly, being uncomfortable with the attention and she dropped her hand before throwing herself forward and wrapping her arms around it, her tears falling forcefully and wetting the soft fur beneath her cheek.

The fox gave a bark and at the sound, she drew back and rose to her feet, launching herself at her second brother when he was human once more. His arms wrapped around her tightly and she breathed his scent in, smoke and citrus.

"What's with the waterworks, Spitfire?" He muttered quietly.

"I missed you, I missed you so much," she cried. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"As if, we'd get a job at the Ministry before we abandoned our Little Witch," he spoke softly and she gave a laugh through her cries.

"Hermione, get away from them!" Remus snapped.

Hermione pulled back from him and turned to look at her fathers, both of them had narrowed eyes and their wands gripped tightly in their hands, their bodies set in a defensive stance and prepared for a duel. She blinked at them stupidly before her eyes darted behind them, seeing the confusion of the pack and the Cullens, obviously having no idea what was happening, and her soul bonds didn't look pleased either. She put that down to possessiveness, seeing as she was hugging and crying all over two men they'd never met before.

"Alpha, Papa, what're you doing?" She questioned both sounding and looking horrified as she stood protectively in front of her brothers, glaring down at her fathers.

"Get away from them! They could be anyone!" Remus snarled, his eyes a bright amber in the dark of the night.

Two chuckles sounded from behind her.

"And here we thought we were special, I guess not, Georgie."

"It's like a knife to the heart, Freddie," the other nodded in agreement before they both turned their eyes back to Remus and Sirius. They crossed their arms over their chests and cocked their eyebrows in challenge.

"You wanna go first, little brother?"

"Don't mind if I do," the other brother replied with a nod of thanks. "Let's see, Remus, at Hogwarts you were caught releasing a heard of hippogriffs from their pen when James Potter dared you to."

Remus' eyes widened and his wand arm dropped in surprise, his body losing his defensive stance.

"And, Sirius, when you were fifteen you tried to get into Professor McGonagall's knickers," the first brother said.

Hermione grimaced and Sirius' eyes widened before he stood tall and his wand arm dropped, too. A bark of laughter left him, whether it was in surprise, amusement or disbelief, she didn't know, she would've guessed it was a mixture of all three.

"It really _is_ you," Remus muttered quietly, his eyes darting between the two smirking wizards.

"Of course, it is," the older brother scoffed. "Who else have you drunkenly revealed your secrets to?"

"I told you," Hermione said softly, taking the twins' hands in hers and feeling their comforting presence wash over her. "I'd know Fred and George anywhere, human form _or_ Animagus form."

Looks and noises of confusion were still noticeable but eyes widened in understanding, too; she'd told them of her prankster twin brothers. The snarls and growls had stopped from her soul bonds and her eyes cut to them, seeing them looking confused, surprised, but also happy. They were happy for her, for having her brothers back in her life, someone she thought to be dead and the other someone she'd thought she'd never again see.

Before Hermione could blink, Fred and George were gone from beside her and were being pulled into hugs by her fathers. She noticed the others looking away, likely trying to give them a little privacy given the situation they were in and their unexpected but welcomed reunion.

"It's good to see you, boys," Sirius spoke, pulling back from Fred and clapping him on his shoulder, his eyes tracing his features for a moment.

"What are you doing here? How did you find us?" Remus asked, clapping George on the shoulder and she smiled and wiped away her tears, just as the twins reached out to her and pulled her to stand in-between them, wrapping themselves around her and smiling down at her.

"You called and we came," George answered and they each blinked at him slowly in confusion. "The Order received your message and after a day of deliberation, they've come to a decision. We thought it best we deliver the news in person, after all, we haven't seen you in months and we wanted to make sure everything was alright."

"Given the stroke of genius this plan of yours is, we _knew_ it had to be our Spitfire here that came up with the idea," Fred spoke, smiling down at Hermione brightly and she blushed under his praise. "The Order has come to the unanimous decision to give you the go-ahead." Hermione and her fathers sighed in relief. "They've decided on the date of the battle and it's to be January 12th, a little over two weeks. This allows for plenty of time to gather supplies and magical folk willing to help, as well as giving you the chance to put the plan into motion. We're staying."

"Really?" Hermione asked quietly, looking up at them both.

They both smile at her softly. "Of course, Spitfire, we're going to be with you till the very end, and it just so happens it's Christmas, we know it's your favourite time of year," George grinned.

Much to her confusion, he pulled away from her and dug around in his robe pocket, pulling out his wand and something small sat in his palm. With a wave of his wand, he had it resized and he held it out to her.

Hermione couldn't help the bubble of laughter that left her, a true smile spread across her face and her eyes positively lit up as she took the horrid magenta robes from him, holding them out before her. The material was soft and practical for potion making, on the right breast pocket was the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes logo, and on the left was her name monogrammed in a bright orange that clashed horribly with the magenta. She happily put the hideous garment on over the top of her clothing.

"It's so hideous, I _love_ it," she laughed as her fathers shared a smile, her soul bonds looked happy and the others also looked to be confused but happy for her, especially at hearing her laughter.

"We thought you'd like them," Fred grinned. "You're one of us and we've been promising you a set for years now, we just never had the chance to give them to you."

"I love them," she promised, smiling widely.

"Now, let's have a quick chat, you mentioned having allies in your letter and who's that group of misfits staring at us?" George asked.

"Merlin! I forgot we hadn't introduced you," she said, grabbing their hands and pulling them forward and over to the group and her fathers followed after her amused.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce to you, my big brothers..."

"Fred and George Weasley..." George interrupted, stepping forward and bowing.

"At your service, please, don't ask for autographs all at once," Fred continued as he bowed, too.

Hermione rolled her eyes but a giggle left her, and they received looks of amusement and raised eyebrows.

"We may as well go inside, this is going to be a long conversation," Sirius spoke before everyone nodded in agreement and they followed him back to the tent, Hermione walking in-between Fred and George, conversing with them and looking more animated than her soul bonds had ever seen her.

~000~000~000~

Fred and George sat back against the cushions of the couch, their eyes wide and their heads aching from information overload. Hermione and her fathers had spent the last hour explaining about their lives since being forced to leave England, speaking of their travels, moving to Forks, meeting the Cullens and the pack, learning of their secrets, Hermione learning of her bond with Edward, Paul and Jacob, speaking of the newborn army battle that had just taken place and finishing with the twins' arrival.

George shook his head and then turned to the Cullens, his eyes sweeping each one in turn. "Vegetarians?"

"Yes, we do not feed on human blood, only animals," Carlisle spoke kindly, offering them a smile.

George turned his eyes to Edward. "Our Hermione's your vampire mate?"

"She is," he nodded, turning his eyes to Hermione and the twins weren't blind to the way his entire face softened when she smiled at him from her place sat in-between Paul and Jacob.

"You can read minds?" He questioned and Edward nodded. "And you can manipulate and feel emotions?" He looked to Jasper and he nodded. "And you can see variations of the future?" He looked to Alice and she smiled in a way that reminded them of Luna Lovegood. Merlin, bless her soul in the afterlife.

Fred turned his eyes to the pack, eyeing them each in turn in the same way George had the vampires.

"You're natural born shape-shifters?"

"Yes, to protect our land and people from vampires," Sam's deep voice answered. Fred raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked to the Cullens, pulling sniggers from the occupants of the room. "Hermione gets mad if we fight."

Fred's mouth twitched into a smile at seeing everyone in the room shiver and looks of fear crossed their faces. So, they'd witnessed Hermione's temper? He turned his eyes to the two teenagers perched on either side of Hermione; Jacob shifted under his stare, Paul arched an eyebrow.

"And Hermione's the equivalent of being a mate to you both?"

"Yes," they both replied. Jacob's voice was hesitant, Paul's challenging.

"And they're your magical soul bonds?" Fred questioned Hermione, motioning between her two wolves and her favourite vampire.

"Yes," she replied, her mouth pulled into a wide smile and her eyes shining in a way he hadn't seen since she was a first-year entering the great hall for the first time.

"They treat you right?" He questioned, ignoring the two growls and the snarl that was sent his way for even daring to ask that question.

Hermione smiled, not looking the least bit offended by his question, rather, she looked happy. "Yes, I assure you, if they didn't they'd face my wand, and that's _after_ Alpha and Papa are through with them."

"So, what's this whole deal with Hermione being an Alpha?" George asked, drawing attention to him. He wasn't blind to the less than friendly scowl that crossed Sam's face.

"Sam's the Alpha of our pack as he was the first to phase but Jacob's the _true_ Alpha by birth and blood and he refused to take the position from Sam when he phased," Jared explained. The twins' eyes darted between Jacob and Sam curiously. "Most of us have imprints but Hermione's different; due to her bond with Jacob and her being a wolf, too, she's technically our Alpha and we treat her as such."

"A wolf?" The twins questioned, their confused gazes moving to Hermione.

"Animagus form," she shrugged.

"Of course," George said amused.

"Silly us, we should've known," Fred nodded and Hermione giggled.

"Hermione's a part of both packs, ours and the one she shares with her fathers, but this also makes us one unified pack despite having several Alphas, at least, that's what Hermione said, we're still confused on the how," Jared frowned, scratching at his chin in confusion. The twins, however, nodded as if they understood perfectly. "And with Hermione comes her fathers and the Cullens, we're all technically one large pack, a family."

"Understandable," the twins chorused.

Fred and George looked to each other, a silent conversation passing through their eyes before nodded to each other, crossed their arms over their chests and their eyes flittered between Edward, Paul and Jacob, a serious, threatening expression crossing their faces. At the sudden and uncharacteristic change in their behaviour, Remus and Sirius shared a knowing smirk.

"So, Sparkles, Rover, Fido," George said, earning amused looks from the others and a snort from Rosalie. " _What_ are your intentions towards our Hermione?"

The three teens frowned. "Intentions?" They questioned together, sharing a horrified glance at the unintentional chorus.

"Yes, intentions? What are you after? Do you plan to make an honest witch of her? Will you shower her with books and potion ingredients? Will you stop her from changing the world? Are you going to treat her right?" Fred picked up, an impressive terrifying expression on his face that could rival Hermione's, and she noted how he'd pulled his wand from the inside of his robes.

"We're not after anything," Jacob replied, looking ill at the thought of using Hermione in such a way or treating her with anything less than she deserved. "She's our imprint. She comes before all else; nothing else matters to us but her happiness and safety. She's the air we breathe, the gravity that grounds us to earth. We are and will be everything she needs and will be even in death."

The twins eyed him carefully before sharing a subtle nod, then their eyes turned to Paul and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course we're not going to stop her from doing anything she wishes to do, we know she's capable of changing the world and if she wishes it, we'll be by her side helping her."

The twins held his gaze for a moment before turning to Edward.

"We've already spoken of the future," he admitted, surprising everyone in the room and that included Jacob and Paul as they glanced to Hermione questioningly. "We've spoken of marriage and she'd like to wait until after the Death Eaters have been dealt with, we've graduated school and the Wizarding World is safe again, so we can marry in a single ceremony rather than three separate ceremonies. And she'll want for nothing; even if she didn't have her own wealth behind her, my family have amassed quite the fortune over the years. Anything she wants, she'll have."

The twins looked to each other again and then back to the three teens.

"Do you love her?" They questioned together.

"Yes," came three instant replies and Hermione couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face.

Their gazes narrowed. "Have you had sex?"

The room plummeted into silence as Jacob shifted in his seat nervously, Paul looked to the twins fearlessly and Edward frowned. Before anyone could blink, the twins had both stood and had their wands trained on Jacob and Paul, Edward being spared. They'd seen their reactions to their question and they had their answers without words having needed to been spoken.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Jacob asked Hermione.

She shook her head, a smile on her face and no sign of concern. "No, they're my big brothers; you've dealt with my fathers, now it's their turn."

Laughter erupted as Paul and Jacob both sprung from their seats, jumped over the couch and darted out of the tent, the twins hot on their tail, not far behind them and firing off hexes.

~000~000~000~

Fifteen minutes later, the twins re-entered the tents, sweat slicking their foreheads, their cheeks pinks and bending over with their hands on their knees, panting heavily and trying to catch their breath.

"Bloody hell! What'd you eat?" George gasped out. "You guys are huge!"

"And fast," Fred added, looking like he might pass out.

Hermione sniggered and a smile pulled at her mouth when her two wolves entered the tent still in their wolf form and they sat on the ground in front of her. Jacob rested his head on her lap as she scratched behind his ears and Paul's eyes remained on the twins as Hermione ran her hand through his fur.

"Well, it was good practice," Sirius offered with a shrug and the others sniggered at him.

"Now that's out of the way," Remus drew their attention. "Why don't we all get some sleep? We can reconvene in a few days after the holidays?"

The others nodded in agreement before they all stood and said their goodbyes and left the tent, Edward, Paul and Jacob staying behind.

~000~000~000~

Paul and Jacob lounged on Hermione's bed whilst Edward sat on the couch reading through a book. They'd been waiting for Hermione to come to bed for two hours now but they understood that she needed some time with brothers, one of which she had thought was dead.

When the door opened and Hermione stepped inside with a happy smile on her face, she disappeared into the bathroom and exited not long after, dressed in a red silk nightgown before she flung herself on her bed, landing in-between Paul and Jacob as giggles escaped her, smiles tugging at their mouths at the sound.

"How'd your talk go?" Paul asked softly.

"Great, they filled us in on the happenings of Wizarding Britain," she replied. "They've managed to rid off all Death Eaters, they've caught a few that were on their radar and a few that weren't. It's the inner circle members which have proven to be difficult to find but they've almost got Wizarding Britain up and running again. They said Hogwarts should be reopening next year, Diagon Alley's now fully repaired and is as busy as ever, and the Ministry is well on its way to being free from all of the corruption. The twins said Charlie's back in Romania, and Bill and Fleur moved to France after the war. There were nine Weasleys and only four remain," she said sadly and she sighed before shaking her head. "Anyway, the twins are brilliant, you think I'm smart but the twins put me to shame with their intelligence. They're going to help me rework the spell work behind the Taboo, which's going to take some time. They'll also help with training; they're duelling style is different from anything I've seen before."

"Meaning?" Edward asked intrigued.

"Well, aside from their creativity, they're able to feed off each other in a way that's hard to explain or understand. It's almost as if they can communicate with a single look or nod of the head. They know the other's next step and action; they know what the other is feeling or going to say and they've always been that way, since their birth really. I imagine they must have a magical connection that's similar to the mind link within the pack. Twins within the Wizarding World are powerful and they share a special bond."

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"They're rare," she shrugged. "As far as I'm aware, there was only one set of twins born during the year of Fred and George's birth, and there weren't any twins born until my year of birth, two years later. But enough about that, I'm just glad they're here," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Hermione?" Jacob said and she hummed in response. "We have separate gifts for you but we've also gotten you a collective gift." She opened her eyes and sat up, crossing her legs. "We'd like to give it to you now, seeing as I'm going to my father's in the morning, and Cullen's promised to visit with Emse and the others."

"Okay," she responded, eyeing them warily when Edward stood from the couch and moved over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge and he removed a rectangular shaped box from seemingly out of nowhere before handing it to her. Her eyes flickered between her three soul bonds before looking to the box in her hand and slowly opening it, a soft gasp falling from her lips at the sight that met her.

Sat inside the box on the soft cushion was a silver charm bracelet fixed with only four charms attached to it, the first being a small square shape and upon closer inspection, she noticed that stamped onto the metal was the Cullen family crest. She knew; she'd seen the leather bracelet Edward often wore with it on. The next charm was that of a beautifully carved wolf with three names engraved on the back, Paul, Jacob and Hermione. The third charm was a small circle and when she looked closer, she saw it to have the Quileute tribal symbol stamped onto it., and the fourth and final charm was that of a witch's hat.

She tore her eyes away from the bracelet, seeing her soul bonds watching for her reaction.

"It's beautiful," she blinked away her tears, knowing they'd obviously put a lot of thought into it, into finding a way to represent all of them in their strange relationship, and they'd worked together, too! "It's truly beautiful, but I can't accept it."

"Why?" They asked together, and with matching frowns, too. It was a little frightening if she was honest.

"You don't understand the traditions in the Wizarding World. I'm the heir to the House of Black, and there are traditions that I must follow because of my title. If I'm presented any form of jewellery by anyone other than my fathers or brothers, it's considered the start of courting, which soon leads to a marriage contract being drawn up."

"We know," Edward confessed and she blinked in surprise, unsure of how to reply. "Sirius walked in on us when we were discussing what to get you for a collective gift. When he heard us considering jewellery, he stepped in and explained the tradition of courting to us."

"Sirius knows?" She questioned and they nodded.

"Remus knows, too," Paul spoke and she blinked once more.

"If I accept the bracelet, do you understand what you're doing?"

"Yes," they responded together.

"By gifting you the bracelet, we're essentially entering into a marriage contract with you. Despite our ages, we all know what we want in our future and we all know we're going to be together, whether we enter into a contract now or in a few years, it doesn't matter. It's not going to stop the inevitability that we'll marry someday. By giving this to you now, it takes the pressure off your father to find you a suitable husband," he rolled his eyes, making her laugh. "From what he told us, before you left England he was having trouble with your government as they wanted him to marry you off, something to do with making and maintaining allies and connections," he shrugged. "So this takes the pressure off Sirius and the marriage contract can be drawn out for as long as you want. From what we understand, it's basically a long engagement, or at least, a being engaged to be engaged period."

She nibbled at the corner of her lip, her eyes flickering between each one of them and then down to the bracelet held in the box.

"Is this truly what you want? _All_ of you?" She asked quietly.

"Yes," they replied without hesitance, once again making her blink at their sudden ability to imitate Fred and George.

"Alright then," she whispered.

Grins broke out on their faces as Paul took the bracelet from the box and fastened it around her wrist. She sighed as she felt the magic of the agreement of courtship wash over her, settling over her heart. Warmth spread through her, her insides fluttering and squirming, her heartbeat quickening and she felt herself grow light-headed. The fog soon cleared and she opened her eyes to see her soul bonds looking at her worriedly.

"I love you, _all_ of you," she said sincerely, before quickly kissing each of them chastely.

They smiled at her. "Love you, too," they mumbled in response.

"That's going to get annoying _really_ fast," she sighed, flopping down onto her back and lifting her bracelet into her line of sight, a smile playing at her mouth.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**Monday 25th December 2006**

When Hermione’s eyes fluttered open, it was to the sight of Paul’s sleeping face being bathed by the soft glow of the candlelight and she had never seen him so peaceful. His eyes moved beneath his eyelids but a smile seemed to be tugging at the corner of his mouth and his hold on her tightened briefly before slackening again.

She couldn’t feel Jacob’s heat or body behind her, his breathing tickling her skin and she couldn’t hear his heartbeat either and she knew he must’ve already left to spend the day with his father. She was a little disappointed that she wouldn’t be spending Christmas morning with him but she couldn’t be selfish. Jacob practically lived with her, even having some of his clothing stashed in her wardrobe and a toothbrush in her bathroom, and he barely saw his father so it was only right that he spent Christmas with him but that didn’t stop her from missing him when he was gone, especially since she’d completed the bond with him and everything between them was magnified.

She lifted her head slightly to see the stack of books on the couch but no Edward, so he’d snuck out at some point, too, but she did remember being in the phase between slumber and waking and something cold pressing to her cheek before it was quickly gone, it must’ve been him before he’d left to spend the day with his family. She missed Edward, too, but she was loathe to admit that despite loving him, the intensity wasn’t quite there yet and that was because they hadn’t completed their bond but with the battle that was soon heading their way, she knew she’d have to convince him it was time and quickly. They would all be safer for it.

Sighing to herself when her stomach gave a growl of hunger, she did her best to disentangle from Paul’s arms, her first attempt pulled a sleepy mumble from him, her second attempt had him holding her a little tighter and pulling her further into him, her third attempt had him shifting in his sleep and burying his face against her hair and her fourth attempt was finally successful. She climbed from the bed, barely holding in her snort when Paul let out a none too pleased grumble and he automatically reached out for her with his arm, which she admitted, was quite adorable. When he settled, she retrieved her silk robe from the back of the door and slipped it on before leaving out the room.

As she made her way down the corridor, the silver of her bracelet reflecting off the candlelight from above caught her attention and she lifted her wrist, blindly navigating her way to the kitchen as she gazed at the gift from her three soul bonds and a smile tugged at her mouth. 

She couldn’t believe she was officially being courted, and at the young age of eighteen. Well, she supposed she wasn’t that young as she knew some courtships started as early as thirteen and arranged marriages could be set barely days after a child’s birth, sometimes when the child was still in the womb. The birth of girls in the Wizarding World was quite a bit lower than that of boys, which made them valuable and coveted, especially in Pureblood society.

With her being the heir to the House of Black, it was one of the reasons Sirius had been pressured into marrying her off, particularly as she was now of legal age to wed and produce an heir to carry on the Black bloodline, regardless of the fact she was adopted and she didn’t have the blood of a Black in her veins. That only meant she would be ‘cleansing’ the House of inbreeding, allowing for magical growth and a new generation of magic to thrive and flourish.

Looking up when she heard movement as she stepped into the living room, she saw Fred and George rooting through her kitchen cupboards in search of food and at the sight, her mouth tugged into a smile. She could remember the many nights she’d been at the Burrow and she’d gone downstairs in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, only to find the twins rummaging through the food stores and debating over whether or not they could get away with eating the pie or cake their mother had made for dessert the next day by blaming it on Ron, gnomes or the ghoul in the attic. Her smile faltered slightly when she was reminded of her best friend’s outrage and his protests that it absolutely wasn’t him who’d had eaten the food, and she gave her head a shake.

Coming to a stop by the breakfast bar, Hermione leaned against it with her arms folded and pressed to the surface, and she said,

“What’re you doing in my kitchen?”

They both visibly startled, Fred dropping the loaf of bread and George the carton of ham before they whirled around, their wands gripped in their hands but held down by their sides and they let out a huge breath, grumbling as they leaned back against the counter behind them.

“Bloody hell, Spitfire,” Fred breathed out.

“You scared the crap out of us,” George finished, pinning her with a mock-glare.

Her mouth twitched into a smile. “You’re the ones that are sneaking around my kitchen,” she shrugged. “What’re you doing up?”

“We were hungry,” Fred answered.

“ _Starving_ ,” George corrected and she snorted at them. “What are _you_ doing up so early?” He questioned, crouching down to pick up the bread and ham from the ground and setting it on the counter behind him.

“Early?” She cocked an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder to the clock on the wall, showing it was a little after seven in the morning. “It’s after seven o’clock. Today was a sleep in for me, I’m usually up earlier so I can have a training session with Sirius and Remus before I go to school. Anyway, it’s Christmas morning, I recall everyone being up before the crack of dawn so they could open their presents and have breakfast.”

“It’s tradition,” Fred agreed, sharing a sad smile with both her and George.

“Well, I’m awake, so put that bread back. What do you want for breakfast?” She asked, stepping around the breakfast bar and over to the oven.

“Bacon,” Fred answered whilst George said, “Pancakes,” and they scowled at one another.

“Relax, boys, we can have both, you’ve not seen what Paul can eat, he puts you both to shame,” she said amused as she retrieved the ingredients from the cupboards as well as started a fresh pot of tea and coffee.

They’d already eaten and cleaned up before anyone made an appearance and Fred and George now sat on either side of Hermione as they silently stared at the pile of gifts beneath the hastily decorated Christmas tree that stood by the lit fireplace.

“Everything’s changed,” George commented after a while of tense silence.

“So much,” Hermione agreed quietly. “Some for the better, some for the worst. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you,” she muttered, looking down at her lap.

“It’s not your fault,” Fred promised. “The Order’s told us everything, you didn’t have a choice in being sent away and we know that you’d have been there for us if you could’ve. We’re sorry that _we_ couldn’t have been there for _you_.”

She chanced a glance at them both and seen their sad, concerned gazes and she knew they knew _everything_ that had happened to her in the months since the end of the war.

“You can’t always be the ones to pull me out of my mind or emotions,” she sighed. “It’s not fair to you.”

“You’re our sister,” George argued, “The only one we have left and we’d be damned if we let anything happen to you.”

She felt tears well in her eyes at his words and no matter how hard she tried to force them back, it was useless.

“I didn’t even know if you were alive,” she whispered, looking up at Fred through her eyelashes. “They wouldn’t tell me. I asked but they’d never give me a straight answer, they allowed me to believe you were dead.”

Fred sighed and put his arm around her shoulders, tugging her into his side. “Maybe it was for the best,” he muttered. “If you believed I’d died, you wouldn’t worry about my safety or my health, you wouldn’t put your own in jeopardy by trying to find me or travelling to care for me. We know you, Spitfire, better than anyone. By believing I was dead, you were safe.”

“It may have been good for my safety but it certainly wasn’t for my health. Your _death_ is one of the reasons I spiralled out of control. It was just another casualty in the war, another life that I loved taken from me.” Tears spilled down her cheeks and she sniffled, reaching up to wipe them away and she felt George’s hand fit around hers. “And if you were dead, that wouldn’t have stopped my worry for George, for his health and safety. I _know_ what grief can do to a purpose. I wanted to be surrounded by the people I loved and cared for, but they kept vital information from me, they allowed me to believe you were dead and for that, I’m never going to forgive them. They had no right to do that, for all they knew, that one little piece of information might’ve been what prevented me from spiralling out of control. They kept me locked up in Grimmauld, only allowing me to leave to visit St. Mungo’s and once I was better, I was sent on tracking missions to keep me distracted, allowing them time to concoct a plan to get me out of the country.”

“The Order only did what they thought was best for you,” George said softly.

“But they had no right to, George. It’s my life, not theirs. They had no right to make decisions for me. Am I not a full grown witch capable of making my own choices? Am I not a child solider, forced to grow in dark times of discrimination and war? Am I not the sole survivor of the famed ‘Golden-Bloody-Trio?’ So I can legally drink, apparate, have sex, get married, but I can’t live my own life?”

“We see your point,” Fred conceded with a tip of his head. “Speaking of marriage, is that what I think it is?” He changed the subject and reached out, disturbing the charms on her bracelet and they jingled lightly.

Her mouth tugged into a smile. “Maybe,” she said shyly.

“Maybe?” George arched his eyebrow, his mouth twitching. “So, was it given to you by Sirius and Remus, or those boy-toys of yours?”

“George!” Hermione gasped out in outrage, her cheeks flaming red and Fred sniggered at them both. “I’ll have you know, Jacob is only a year young than me, Paul is barely a month younger than me and Edward’s a bloody vampire that’s over a century in age.”

“So it’s _him_ who’s robbing the cradle?” He grinned.

“George!” She scolded, ripping her hand from his grasp and curling it into a fist before she jabbed him in the arm and Fred burst into laughter.

“I’d answer the question, he’s only going to get worse, trust me, he’s been awake most of the night compiling all of these jokes,” Fred told her.

Hermione scowled at them both. “I think you both know who gave it to me.”

“Yes, but we want to hear you say it,” he replied.

She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. “Fine, they gave it to me as a collective Christmas gift.”

“They do know what it means, don’t they? I know you wouldn’t take advantage of them, whether they’re your soul bonds or not, it’s not in your nature. But they do know what they’ve gotten themselves into, right?” George said.

She reached up, pushing her hair out of her face and over her shoulder. “Yes, they know what it means. They told me Sirius walked in on them when they were discussing the possibility of getting me jewellery and he thought it best to inform them of the tradition and customs of our world, specifically in Pureblood culture. Remus knows, too, apparently. I made sure they were all happy with me accepting it first and they were. We all know we’re it for each other and someday we’ll marry so it made no difference to us, but by doing this now, it not only gets the proposal out of the way but Sirius won’t be pressured into marrying me off anymore now that I’m officially promised for marriage, no matter how long we wait. It could be until we’ve all graduated, it could be years in the future, we might even have kids before we marry, it doesn’t really matter when, just that we are going to marry.”

“We’re happy for you, Spitfire,” Fred said softly. “We may have chased them out with hexes and threatened them within an inch of their lives, but we both can see they love you and they’d give you the world if they could, which is no less than what you deserve.”

“But still, should one of them step out of line, we won’t hesitate to put them back into place, Weasley Twin style,” George continued and her mouth pulled into a smile.

“I don’t think they’re quite ready for that,” she responded amused. “Everything truly has changed, hasn’t it?”

“Sure has,” they both agreed with nods.

Hermione’s eyes darted to the clock seeing that barely an hour had passed and there was no sign of Paul or her fathers making an appearance just yet and Hermione didn’t wish to open their gifts until after they’d had breakfast and sat with them, wishing to see their reactions to their gifts, especially the twins. She hadn’t expected for them to arrive out of the blue and therefore hadn’t known to purchase a gift for them, fortunately, Hermione still had the gifts she’d purchased the year prior but had been unable to get them to them given the times they were in.

“Do you want to go for a run?” She asked them.

“Do we look like the kind of blokes that take morning runs in the freezing bloody cold?” Fred arched an eyebrow.

“Or that does exercise in general?” George added, matching his twin’s expression.

Hermione’s own eyebrow arched and she pointedly poked them both in the stomach, feeling the hard muscle beneath their t-shirts.

“You played Quidditch for how many years?” She questioned.

“Quidditch isn’t exercise, it’s sport,” Fred corrected.

Hermione scoffed. “Please, it’s not a sport, it’s bloody torture.”

“Can’t argue with that, remember Wood’s training schedule, Freddie?” George said with a grimace.

Fred winced in remembrance. “Don’t, my body hurts just thinking about it,” he grumbled.

“Come on, let’s go for a run, a bit of fresh air will do us some good. In fact, I bet...” The moment those two words left her lips, the twins’ attention snapped to her and they sat taller, never being one to refuse a bet or dare. You would think their experience with Ludo Bagman would’ve taught them something but apparently it hadn’t. “That I can reach the boundary lines of Forks before the _both_ of you.”

“I thought we were in Forks,” Fred frowned in confusion.

“No, we’re smack bang in-between Forks and La Push, the boundary lines for each are a couple of miles away. It’s why the Cullens are able to visit us without breaking the treaty by stepping on Quileute land,” she explained and they both nodded, knowing the back story behind the pack and Cullens as she’d explained it to them last night.

“Alright, what are the stakes?” George asked, his eyes gleaming in challenge and determination.

“If you win, you may prank whoever you wish to without my interference.”

Fred and George looked to one another silently. “Anyone?”

“Anyone,” she nodded.

“Without consequence?”

“Yep,” she popped the ‘p’.

“Even your soul bonds?” George asked.

“Yes,”

“Even the big vampire?” Fred questioned, his eyes alight with mischief.

“ _Especially_ the big vampire, he rather reminds me of you and Charlie combined. Knowing him, he’d laugh his arse off and beg you to teach him your pranking ways. Be sure to have your shields up when around Edward. I doubt he’d warn anyone but if you plan on pranking him, he’d know. You should probably stay away from Alice, too, seeing as she might be able to see you targeting her, and don’t let her size fool you, she’s bloody terrifying.”

“Like you then,” they both snorted.

“Now that I think about it, I’d stay away from Rosalie and Leah, too, they’d quite frightening as well, and Esme, she’d just too nice to prank, Carlisle, too. In fact, stay clear of the girls, Edward, Carlisle, and probably Sam, he’s got a bit of a stick shoved up his arse about magic and he might phase and attack you.”

“You’ve just narrowed down the target pool significantly,” Fred pouted.

“Hey, it’s for _your_ safety, I’m only warning you. And you know exactly what would happen if you were to target me, Remus or Sirius.”

George snorted. “You’d hex the life out of us and Remus and Sirius would only reciprocate with something far worse.”

“Marauder style,” she nodded proudly.

“Alright, that’s if we win, if we lose?”

“To be decided,” she answered.

They both frowned, looking a little worried by that and knowing how devious her mind was.

“Wait, so you’re not putting us on a no pranking ban whilst we’re here?” Fred asked surprised, having expected that to be the terms of their loss.

“No, given what’s coming, we need a bit of laughter and to be honest, I’ve really missed you,” she said, a sad smile pulling at her mouth. “I’d kill to witness another of your pranks.”

Their expressions softened. “So, win or lose, we still get to prank someone?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Then what are we playing for?”

“Not getting your arse kicked by a girl,” she shrugged and they snorted at her. “I should probably warn you...”

She stood from the couch and turned to face them, doing a quick search of her surroundings to make sure she had enough room before she bent forward, transforming into the large snowy wolf that stood out like a sore thumb in the softly lit room.

Fred and George’s eyes widened, their mouth parted in surprise and noises of surprise sounded in the backs of their throats as they stared at the beautiful, _huge_ wolf that stood before them. From what they could see and remember, she was barely smaller than Jacob and Paul despite male wolves tending to be bigger, and they were bloody enormous!

She rose on her hind legs and transformed back once more, grinning at their stunned expressions. “I’m not a regular wolf.”

“We can see that,” they said quietly in surprise.

Her grin widened. “Last one to the boundary line is a rotten dragon’s egg,” she said excitedly before laughing and transforming once more into her wolf, turning, leaping over the couch and dashing out of the tent, into the woods.

Fred and George stared after the wolf that was on average six times bigger than they were in their fox forms before they both sprang from their seats and darted over to the exit, popping their heads out of the tent, only to see that it had snowed heavily during the night and the ground and trees were blanketed, even as snow continued to fall in fat flakes.

“Bloody hell! It snowed,” George said.

“Not only is she faster than us and bigger than us, she’s going to blend in! Even if we can catch up to her, we won’t be able to see her,” Fred complained.

“Stop your moaning, there’s not a chance I’m letting a witch beat us,” George replied. A howl suddenly sounded and echoed through the woods and travelled straight to the tent. “She’s waiting for us, let’s go.”

They both transformed into their foxes before dashing out of the tent, completely sticking out in the surroundings with their reddish-brown fur, and just as Sirius and Remus stepped into the living room, sharing a smile.

“I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time,” Sirius commented, his mouth tugging at the corners when he heard a second howl call out.

“She’s got her brothers back,” Remus replied, a soft chucking escaping as he played what he’d overheard of their conversation in his mind.

“But they won’t stay forever, they have a home,” Sirius pointed out.

“They do, and whilst we’re staying after all of this is dealt with, it’ll be safe for her to travel and do as she wishes. There’ll be nothing stopping her from exchanging owls or returning to London for a visit, or for them to visit us here.”

“If we have a floo connection, it’ll be much easier to stay in contact,” Sirius said. “Do you think she’ll want to leave the tent?”

“Probably not, I know she’s rather fond of this place,” Remus replied, his eyes darting about his sparsely decorated surroundings. “And whilst it’s her home, it’s still a tent and she deserves more than that. Have you been looking through the brochures?”

“Yes, but I haven’t seen anything suitable for our needs? You?”

“Yes, but we have to take into account the area. The boys are likely to be uncomfortable in Forks and can’t be too far from their pack and Edward can’t enter La Push or Quileute land.”

“Which makes house hunting and putting down roots difficult,” Sirius sighed, running his hand through his hair and nodding. “Should we be moving with her?”

Remus’ eyes flashed amber for a brief moment before returning to normal. “Why wouldn’t we move with her?”

Sirius arched an eyebrow at Remus deliberately trying to act oblivious.

“Moony, I know she’s your cub and you want her close by where we can ensure she’d safe, but every wolf leaves the pack to find a mate and build a family. You know that sooner or later, she’s going to have to leave. She’s already found her soul bonds, completed the bonds with two of them, she shares a bedroom with them and they’ve entered into an official marriage contract. They’ll be graduating soon and building a career, building their lives together and having a family, and they can’t do that with us watching over their shoulders. They need their privacy and space.” Remus released a growl and Sirius held his hand up in surrender. “Just food for thought, Moony. Maybe we should be looking for a house for them, not us.”

“She is _not_ leaving,” Moony growled, his eyes flashing amber before he turned and stalked to the kitchen, selecting one of the dishes left on the side under a Stasis Charm and pouring himself a cup of tea.

“Bloody overprotective werewolf,” Sirius grumbled, ducking the spoon that passed over his head before it clattered against the ground.

Sirius rolled his eyes before picking it up and crossing over to the kitchen, cautiously eyeing the petulant, grumpy werewolf as he sulkily ate his food.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 15

**Monday 25th December 2006**

"I know you're there," Paul muttered sleepily.

Lounging against the door frame of her bedroom, a smile pulled at Hermione's mouth, observing Paul as he lay on his stomach, his arms folded beneath the pillow with his face buried in it. The blankets covered only his lower body and Hermione's teeth sunk into her lip as she watched the way the muscles of his russet-toned back flexed when he lifted his head to peer over his shoulder at her with a smirk before once more burying his face against the pillow.

Pushing away from the door frame, she closed the door behind her and padded over to her bed, barefoot, making little noise against the floor. When she reached her destination, rather than climbing into bed beside Paul as he'd expected, she clambered up onto the mattress and moved to straddle his back, lowering herself until her chest pressed against him, her chin rested over his shoulder and her arms burrowed beneath him, folding around him.

She sighed happily as the heat of his abnormally hot body seeped through her clothing and to her own skin, warming her in the chill of the tent. With it being winter and snow now being on the ground, they had reached temperatures below zero and despite the charms around the tent protecting them from the cold, it wasn't as warm as it usually was, Hermione taking the opportunity to snuggle into their warmth more than usual, something neither Paul nor Jacob minded.

"Comfortable?" Paul questioned amusedly, having no problem with her weight or body covering him.

"Hmmm, _very_ ," she sighed happily, snuggling against him further like a little kitten searching for warmth.

Speaking of kittens, Hermione tipped her head to left, seeing the sliding mirrored door of her wardrobe open and hearing a quiet, soft meow followed by a boisterous, playful bark and a giggle slipped past her lips.

"I still can't believe it," she sighed.

"Am I officially the best boyfriend ever?" Paul asked, the smugness unhidden in his tone as he turned his head, his face no longer buried in the pillow so his voice wasn't muffled.

"Oh, I don't know about that," she teased, "After all, I do have three boyfriends, all of who, I am now engaged to, I can't be seen playing favourites. But saying that, I never expected to receive those for Christmas and you were bloody good at keeping it quiet. And I adore them," she responded.

A smile pulled at her mouth when a golden retriever puppy came barrelling out of her wardrobe, skidding across the floor until it halted to a stop, losing its balance and falling face first to floor. Soon after, a tiny black kitten followed suit, pouncing at the larger animal, batting it with its paws. When Hermione laughed, it drew their attention and the boisterous, playful pup darted over to the bed, struggling to jump up given the difference in size between the animal and the bed. Chuckling, Hermione climbed off Paul and moved to sit beside him, reaching down and lifting the puppy into her arms, snuggling against the soft golden fur and the puppy yipped and tipped its head back, trying to lick her face.

Snorting when he heard a soft, squeak-like meow, Paul shifted and blindly reached down on his side of the bed, lifting the little black kitten onto the mattress. The moment he released her from his hold, Hermione laughed when she pounced on his back, sitting atop him and playfully batting at the back of his head. He was careful when he turned over onto his back, the kitten sliding off him and onto the bed but that didn't deter her, climbing back onto his chest and batting at his chin and cheek with her paw as Paul reached out and scratched behind her ears, the kitten purring as she moved closer, rubbing her head against his face and curling up into a ball on his chest.

"That is the most adorable thing I have ever seen," Hermione vowed.

"I'm not adorable," Paul protested quietly, not wishing to startle the little kitten.

Hermione arched an eyebrow in challenge. "You are, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone how much of a softy you are. Heaven forbid people believe you're not a thug. Godric, imagine Burke's face if he saw you now. A steroid-taking, cruel, heartless, truanting bully indeed," she rolled her eyes.

Paul snorted. "You really don't like him," he commented.

"No, I don't," she agreed, "And if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll bring in Thaddeus and the wizard is vicious when he wants to be."

"Reminds of someone," he said lightly and she reached out, smacking at his shoulder with the back of her hand before burying it in the fur of her puppy.

Whilst she'd been curious as to what Paul would get her for Christmas, she'd never expected for him to wake that morning, have breakfast with her fathers and then make an excuse to leave the tent, returning an hour later with a large, badly wrapped box in his arms. The moment he'd set it down before her, Hermione had been hesitant in opening it when she'd seen it move, at first darting a suspicious glance to the twins but they'd simply held their hands up in surrender, promising they had nothing to do with it.

When she'd opened the box, she wasn't ashamed to admit she'd cried a little, something the twins and her fathers had fun teasing her about. Sat in the box had been a little golden retriever pup, no older than three months and hiding beneath it, had been a sleeping black kitten, around the same age. When the kitten had opened her eyes, there'd been striking. One a bright blue and the other a bright yellow.

Looking to Paul, he'd grinned at her before reaching into the box, plucking both the puppy and the kitten from their confinement and depositing them in her arms. He'd explained that after hearing about Crookshanks and how much she'd missed him after his death, he'd wanted to get her a new pet without trying to replace her grumpy familiar, something he'd been planning for weeks. He'd gone to a nearby animal shelter with the intention of adopting a dog and he'd walked out of the shelter after adopting a puppy he thought perfect for Hermione, as well as a kitten as he'd learned that they were a package deal, the puppy and kitten having formed a bond and the puppy being protective of her.

From what he'd learned and told her, the little kitten had been the runt of the litter and after being found abandoned, the staff at the shelter hadn't expected her to survive but she had. The name she'd been given by the staff was Hope. The puppy had been seized from a hoarder keeping animals in horrific conditions and in an overrun house of pets of all kinds. The staff had named him Odin, after witnessing his playful but protective behaviour when interacting with the other animals at the shelter. Hermione hadn't felt the need to change their names, deeming them perfect for her 'babies'.

"I still find it odd how comfortable she is with you," said Hermione, watching the dozing kitten on his chest as she purred in her sleep and her tail swished back and forth lazily as she dreamed. "Just as she is with my fathers." The moment the little kitten had seen her fathers, she'd been taken with them, just as they had been with her, and the twins, in particular, had vowed to steal her puppy when they returned to London, a vow that had seen them staring down the business end of her wand. "Given your wolf nature, she should be uncomfortable around you, seeing as cats and dogs are natural enemies. With Sirius and I being Animagus, our DNA remains human and unchanged, unlike yours or Remus'," she mused thoughtfully. "With Crookshanks, he was part kneazle, a magical being that understood Remus and Sirius for who and what they were, but Hope's a regular cat."

Paul shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to say, I guess she's cleverer than an average cat."

"She's adorable," Hermione cooed, reaching over to run her hands through the soft, jet black fur. "And it's just a coincidence she has black fur?" She arched an amused eyebrow.

"It's not my fault Odin found himself attached to her," he argued. "And it's not my fault that you're a witch or that black cats are associated with witches."

"Hmmm, I imagine Jared will find the irony amusing," she sighed. "And the moment he starts making comments is the moment I will lob hexes his way."

"Can't wait," Paul smirked at her.

"He's your best friend," she reminded.

"Exactly, I _know_ how annoying he can be, and I can't help enjoy when you're putting him in his place."

Hermione rolled her eyes before she climbed off her bed and headed for her wardrobe, slipping inside and setting her sleepy puppy in the large dog bed she'd transfigured. The new pets of the tent had been given free rein of the place and although Sirius and Remus had tried to convince Hope to sleep in their room and the twins had done the same with Odin, they'd both seemed to find comfort in Hermione's wardrobe, likely because it was dark, warm and so big there were plenty of corners to snuggle and hide in.

Her new puppy didn't try to follow her as he settled down and released a tired yawn and Hermione quickly retrieved the sleepy kitten from Paul's chest, putting her in the dog bed, too, the puppy and kitten snuggling together as they slept. Smiling at the adorable sight, she closed the door slightly but left enough room for them to come and go as they pleased, she returned to bed and slipped under the covers, sighing happily when her head hit the pillow and her eyes closed.

"I know what you're thinking," she muttered, feeling the heat of Paul's hand where it hovered above her waist but didn't touch.

"What?" He asked innocently.

Her mouth twitched in amusement. "Don't act innocent, I know you. I know the way you think, especially when we're _alone_."

Peeling open her eyes, it was to the sight of Paul's mouth twitching into a smirk.

"It's not often we're alone," he shrugged. "Especially since you completed your bond with Jacob. How many times have you slept together since?"

Her brow furrowed in thought. "Twice, I think."

"He still hurt you?"

"A little but I was smart enough to ingest a Strengthening Potion," she answered, a sigh slipping from her when Paul's hand buried beneath her t-shirt and settled against her waist, his hand hot against her skin. "We really should get some sleep. We've got a busy couple of weeks ahead of us and if I were to give in to our urges, I can't promise we won't be interrupted. The twins have a habit of barging into people's rooms for no other reason than being bored and wishing to have a nosey at what other people are doing, no matter the time of day or night."

"Lock your door," suggested Paul.

"It won't work. The twins know the way I think, and if they didn't, they're so damn smart it wouldn't take them long to dismantle or counter any charm I might use."

"So we best be quick then, right? Just in case?"

Her eyes fluttered closed and her teeth sunk into her lip when his fingers ghosted over her skin as his hand moved north, heading for her breasts, a humming noise sounding from him. He approved at her being braless beneath her t-shirt, something she'd known the moment he'd noticed it earlier.

The moment his hand cupped and kneaded her breast and a sigh fell from her, they both knew she wasn't going to protest or argue further and her eyes opened briefly before she closed the distance between them, pressing her mouth to Paul's. One moment she was lost in the feeling of his hands and his kisses and the next she was lying on her back, her hands fisted into the covers and staring up at the ceiling with her t-shirt bunched up her stomach as Paul's mouth moved over her heaving stomach and chest, slowly moving south, barely pausing as he removed her underwear and threw them to the ground, his shoulders nudging her legs further apart, his arms holding her in place and his mouth descending on her centre.

Her body arched and a ragged gasp tore from her mouth, her legs briefly trying to close before they fell open, a flush creeping down her face and to her chest, sweat slicking her skin both from the heat of Paul's body radiating over her and the impending orgasm he was shoving her towards.

Paul was _really_ good at this she'd come to realise, and she was a lucky witch indeed, especially when he was always adamant he get her off first, usually with his mouth. She wasn't entirely sure why he seemed to be so obsessed with using his mouth on her but she wasn't going to complain.

The moment he buried his fingers in her, a breathless moan of his name fell from her lips, her body arched and she reached out, lifting the covers, Paul's eyes locking on her over the rim of her pelvic bone. Gasping as he used his mouth and tongue, a deadly combination, her head fell back, her body arched and when he found that spot that made her see stars, her toes curls and her hips jerked forward, Hermione crying out...

"Jacob!"

Her glassy eyes flew open at the sound of the door opening and closing, thankfully, quickly to not allow anyone to potentially hear what was happening in her room, even if she knew it was late and everyone was in bed.

"That's not my name," Paul muttered as he continued to lap at her, prolonging the pleasure of her orgasm and unable to stop herself, her head tipped back once more and her hands buried under the covers, twining through Paul's hair as she whimpered and shuddered beneath him.

When it all ebbed away and she slumped into the mattress, her breathing laboured, her skin flushed and sticky with heat and sweat, Paul climbed up her body and from under the covers, smirking down at her as he pressed a kiss against her mouth before he shifted to lay beside her, the obvious bulge in his boxers brushing against her thigh as he shifted until he propped himself up on his elbow and his gaze darted to the door where a stunned Jacob stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide and his jaw slack.

"What the hell's going on here?" Jacob finally managed to stutter out after several attempts to speak.

Paul arched an eyebrow, his mouth tugging into a smirk as Hermione lifted her hands to cover her face as she worked to get her breathing back under control. The blankets hid her lower half and her t-shirt had slipped back into place, not that it mattered, she supposed; they'd both seen her naked.

"I thought that was obvious," answered Paul without a hint of shame or embarrassment, something Jacob seemed to be struggling with. Well, that and horror and jealously at what he'd just walked in on. Thank Merlin it hadn't been the twins! "And thanks to your timing, she called out your name and not mine when I was the one that was doing all the work."

Hermione removed a hand from her face and smacked him none too gently, once more hiding her face from view after sending him a glare. Paul smirked in response before turning his eyes back to a surprised Jacob.

"So, either get your ass over here or get out."

"What!" Hermione shrieked and Jacob spluttered, shifting on his feet uncomfortably.

Paul arched an eyebrow when Hermione looked to him, her skin flushed but he knew it was still an effect of her arousal and orgasm, not a result of her being embarrassed.

"You talk in your sleep," he shrugged casually. Hermione's eyes widened. "I know you've thought about having us both at the same time."

"What!" She shrieked.

Paul sniggered, finding her surprise -not embarrassment- too amusing.

"You want me to repeat it?" He questioned and she scowled at him. "If you don't want to, ask him to come back later," he shrugged, already knowing she wouldn't.

Hermione's eyes darted between his knowing smirk and Jacob's confused, mortified and surprised expression, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, feeling her insides squirming at his words. He was right, she _had_ dreamt about it before. More than once. But what was a girl to do when she had two wolves as handsome as hers. Whilst she often dreamt of them singularly, Paul and Jacob sometimes cropped up together, but never with Edward. She knew that would never happen. Edward was too possessive, it was hard enough that he knew what was happening, he'd never be able to stand witnessing it, even if he were involved. But there was a possibility with Jacob and Paul, at least, once Jacob was no longer embarrassed, she'd hoped it might happen in the future when they were all older and had grown more comfortable with their relationship.

Releasing her bottom lip from the entrapment of her teeth, she pushed herself into a seating position, her eyes locked on Jacob's.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Hermione began, unable to hide the breathlessness in her tone and she was certain they'd both hear the pounding of her heart in her chest. "If you want to leave, you can, but I would like it if you stayed."

She slowly raised her arm and held her hand out towards him in offering.

He didn't move. He stayed rooted to the spot, his eyes darting between her and Paul nervously. She knew why, whilst she and Paul had been having sex longer and she was the inexperienced one compared to him, she and Jacob had only had sex no more than three times, he was the most inexperienced out of them all. He was always nervous with her until he finally managed to calm himself and let go of his thoughts and worries, but then he was always alone with her. He always compared himself to Paul and now that he was there as well, she could only imagine the thoughts going through his head.

"You have nothing to worry about," Hermione promised softly, ensuring that she caught his gaze.

Seeming to have made his decision, he took a calming breath and took a slow, hesitant step forward, then another and another until he reached the bed and after kicking off his shoes, he took her hand, Hermione smiling at him in assurance as he let her tug him onto the bed.

"Stop worrying, and whatever it is you're thinking, stop it. I love you both."

Wishing to calm his nerves, she closed the distance between them and pressed her mouth to his, feeling some of the tension leaving his body as her arms folded around his neck and her hands fisted into his hair and t-shirt. When she drew back for air, she blinked in surprise to see that she now sat astride Jacob's lap, not having noticed him moving her until just now.

Turning her head towards Paul, she saw he looked more amused than left out, she supposed he already knew she'd have to give more attention to Jacob than him. Paul knew what he was doing, he was confident and would happily touch her however he wished. Jacob needed encouragement and guidance.

Shifting off Jacob's lap, she once more lay on her side, tugging him to do the same until he faced her and Paul was behind her. Not liking that he wore too many layers, with a muttered spell, Jacob found himself free of both his jeans and t-shirt, leaving him only in his boxers to match Paul whilst Hermione was only covered by the overly large t-shirt, Jacob's she thought.

"Don't think, just feel," Hermione muttered before she kissed him once more, drawing him into distraction and she reached behind her, finding Paul's hand and setting it on her hip, her wolf not needing to be told twice or needing to ask for clarification as he burrowed his hand under her clothing, it smoothing over the skin of her stomach, ghosting over her scars before reaching her breasts, Hermione sighing into Jacob's mouth.

Before she knew it, his other arm had burrowed beneath her and wound under her t-shirt and the other moved lower, running the tips of his fingers over her thigh teasingly before lifting her leg and pulling it to rest over his, his hand moving to her centre without pause, his fingers spreading her arousal before they slipped inside. Hermione tore her mouth from Jacob's with a gasp, her hand tightening in his hair and her head tipping forward to press against Jacob's chest, her breathing growing heavier as the moments passed.

Feeling the way Jacob's body tensed a little, she forced herself to focus and lift her head, looking at the slight crease in his forehead as his eyes watched the disruption of the blanket with each movement of Paul's hand.

"It's not a competition," Hermione muttered, biting her lip to stifle a moan that caught in her throat when Paul added a third finger and his thumb moved to circle the little bundle of nerves that spiked pleasure through her whole body, her hips moving in time with his movements without her consent.

The nerves were getting the best of him, she could see it, and paying no mind to Paul who was happily content to be left to his own teasing of her body, she reached out and pulled Jacob back to her, latching her mouth on his and deliberately dominating the kiss, feeling his body relax as her fingers ghosted over his chest, feeling the twitch of his muscles at her gentle touch, before her hand disappeared into his boxers, catching his groan in her mouth when she curled her fingers around his length, timing the movements of her pumps to that of Paul's movements, it helping her to cling to reality and not grow lost in it all.

She tried to reach behind her and pay the same attention to Paul but he batted her hand away, settling it back against her stomach and he pressed his lower half against her arse, the movements of her hips working against his hand providing him the friction he wanted, a wolf-like growl sounding from him as he nosed her hair aside and buried his face against her neck, nipping and kissing at her skin.

Drawing back for air, Jacob's head tipped forward, his forehead pressing against hers, his eyes remaining closed and little pants falling from him with rumbled growls sounding in his chest. She was close, she could feel it; the knot in her stomach was twisting tighter, sweat slicked at her skin and her inner muscles began pulsing around Paul's fingers. As just as she was about to tip over the edge, Paul halted the movement of his hand to a stop, Hermione whining in protest, feeling his smirk against her skin and she accidentally tightened her grip on Jacob, a low groan catching in his throat.

When Paul resumed the movement of his hand at the insistence of Hermione's wriggling hips, only to repeat the same actions as before in stopping before she tipped over the edge, she whined in protest, lifted her hand from its place resting against Jacob's hip and reached behind her, deliberately pinching his side in warning.

He chuckled against her neck and Hermione tipped her head, giving him better access to the junction of her neck and shoulder, Paul sinking his teeth into her enough to smart but not mark. At the action, her breath hitched and her grip once more tightened on Jacob, a strangled groan sounding from him as his jaw clenched tightly and he reached down, ignoring her incoherent protests as he pulled her hand away from him.

"If you keep doing that, it'll all be over far too soon for me," he admitted in a mutter.

"I don't think she can take much more anyway," said Paul, Jacob startling as though he'd forgotten he was there, too.

Lifting his head from Hermione's neck, he gave Jacob a look Hermione missed but it must've conveyed instructions as Jacob grew nervous and hesitant once more when he reached for his boxers, wriggling out of them until they hit the floor and Hermione felt his erection nudged against her. Being delirious from her third approach to orgasm and silently begging Paul to not back away again, she missed the movement of a hand reaching out and shifting her leg that hooked over Paul's, to now hook over a hip, and she barely registered the quick movement of Paul's hand drawing back from her, only for it to be replaced by Jacob's length slowly filling her.

Her eyes flew open, her head tipped back and she choked on her breath, her hands finding purchase wherever they could, one fisting into the bedsheets beneath her and the other Jacob's waist, also feeling Jacob's larger hand grip her hip a little too tight but she could handle the pain that briefly spiked through her, helping to wake her from her daze.

Jacob didn't move once he was fully sheathed and she wasn't sure if that was for her benefit or his, likely both. The three times they'd had sex, he always insisted that she be the one in charge, that she be on top and control everything until he learned to control his strength, this was a new position for them and although it didn't allow for the feeling it did when she was on top, she was more than aware of the tighter than usual fit, something that was affecting him more than her and he needed time to adjust.

"You okay?" Muttered Paul against her skin softly, his hands smoothing over her stomach softly in an effort to offer comfort and distract her, but his eyes were darting between Jacob's pained expression and his hand on her hip, watching the flexing of his fingers.

He was looking for signs of Jacob hurting her or giving in to his urges, she realised. He was looking to protect her from Jacob's strength. She knew it was harder for him. Yes, Paul had experience and he'd learned to control such factors, but it was harder for Jacob, not only due to his inexperience, but his strength was stronger than the pack's, just as Emmet's was with the coven. He had to work twice as hard as Paul did.

"Fine," she breathed out. "He's not hurting me," she promised.

"How d'you wanna do this?" He asked her.

With her eyes watching Jacob's expression as he calmed himself, seeming to not be aware of her and Paul's interaction, she absentmindedly bit her lip in thought. That was the question, she thought. How did she want to do it? Singularly or together? But what was the point of having them both with her if they were going to do it one at a time?

"Together," she admitted, her breath hitching when Jacob shifted his hips slightly and unintentionally moved within her.

One of Paul's hands moved beneath her t-shift, his fingers ghosting over her skin until they danced over the curve of her arse-cheek.

"Not there," she shook her head. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

She didn't need to look to know his brow was furrowed, but she did so anyway, catching his gaze, his expression morphing into concern when he released her intentions.

"Something like that takes preparation, it'll likely hurt," he warned, not seeming the least bit bothered about his trapped erection being pressed against her arse as he held her to him whilst she currently had someone else buried inside her.

"I know, but we can do it. I can handle a little pain and I'm sure it'll fade soon enough, especially with you to distract me," she replied.

He didn't smirk as she'd expected, rather, his dark eyes examined her face carefully, for signs of what, she didn't know.

"This is what I want," she assured him.

His eyes searched her face for a few more seconds before he nodded, the concern not leaving his eyes.

"It's best I be the one inside you," he said thoughtfully, shamelessly, his eyes darting to Jacob in worry, seeing he'd yet to open his eyes or lift his head, no matter how long may have passed. He seemed to be struggling to stay in control. "You're already tight as hell, I've a better chance of controlling my strength than he does," he tipped his head towards Jacob, "And less chance of hurting you."

"You're the expert," she responded.

He snorted. "I might've been a bit of a man-whore before we met, but I didn't make a habit of sharing my partner with others."

That surprised Hermione but she didn't comment on the matter, instead turning her gaze to Jacob.

"Jacob," she called softly, reaching out to touching his face, his head finally lifting and his eyes opening, revealing they'd darkened so much it was hard to distinguish between the pupil and iris. "Change of plan, I need you to pull out."

He made a noise of disagreement and his hand tightened on her hip, pain shooting through her but she kept her expression as calm as possible.

"Just for a moment," she promised. "You'll see why."

She wriggled her hips, a groan sounding in his throat before he slowly and reluctantly drew back, Hermione shifting to get more comfortable before Paul reached for her leg, drawing it away from Jacob's hip and rather than setting it over his own, he draped it over his arm pulling her legs open wider and allowing for space for movement.

She'd barely taken a breath to prepare herself when she felt him shifting his bowers off before he was entering her, her head tipping back against his shoulder, a moan falling from her lips and her eyes fluttering as a growl rumbled in his chest, the vibrations sending a shiver down Hermione's spine and straight to her core, her inner muscles tightening around him.

"Don't do that," Paul groaned, sounding pained. He pressed a kiss to Hermione's cheek. "Your turn," he said to Jacob.

Hermione's eyes opened, seeing Jacob's wide, surprised eyes, darting between Paul and their lower halves, unable to see what was happening as the blankets covered them.

"Be careful and take it slow, we don't want to hurt her," Paul instructed.

Hermione reached out, wrapping her hand around him, his eyes fluttering closed as she pumped her hand over him, muttering a charm that covered his length with lubrication, a growl rumbling in his chest at the action. Whilst he'd been coated with her arousal, she knew lubrication was going to be needed and it wouldn't hurt to have a little more.

As she drew him closer and guided him to her, she did her best to relax her body the best she could, knowing the intrusion it was about to face. She focused only on that of her wolves, knowing how much they loved her and that they'd always keep her safe, knowing they'd never intentionally harm her, knowing that once the pain faded, it would likely bring pleasure she'd never felt, knowing that they'd take care of her.

When he nudged her entrance, she both saw and heard him gulp and she took a breath of her own, holding it as Jacob took over from her, hesitantly pushing into her. A pained gasp fell from her mouth, her eyes slammed shut and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, her hand tightening on the bedsheets whilst Paul laced his fingers of his free hand through hers, Hermione squeezing tightly.

"Breathe," Paul muttered into her ear, his arm hitching her leg a little higher and his hand reaching down, finding the little bundle of nerves that had pleasure mixing with the pain.

After Hermione nodded in confirmation to continue, Jacob hesitantly pushed forward, halting when she gasped once more, gritting his own teeth against the pained-pleasure. Paul's well-timed circles against her nub helped to ease the pain and Jacob pushed forward a little more, the actions repeating until he'd filled as much of her as he could.

The wolves groaned and growls rumbled in their chests and Hermione whimpered, struggling to distinguish between the pain and pleasure. She'd never felt so full or complete and she was genuinely worried they may split her in half. Was that even physically possible? She did _not_ want to find out. Paul's actions helped her to relax, the pain slowly ebbing to something more manageable, only her breath hitched when Jacob's grip on her hip tightened.

Paul's eyes snapped to him.

"Jacob!" He warned but the younger teen didn't hear, being lost in his own little world with his eyes screwed shut, his breathing heavy and his jaw visibly ticked. "Jacob!" His voice rose, a growl wrapping around the word and finally pulling his attention, his dark eyes snapping to him. "Control yourself, you're hurting her."

Jacob's brow furrowed and locked on Hermione's slightly pained grimace.

"Your grip's too tight, you'll leave bruises," Paul explained.

Jacob's expression morphed from pained-pleasure to guilty-horror.

"It's fine," Hermione tried to assure him but knowing it didn't work.

"I know it's hard for you but you have to focus. You're in control, not the wolf-side. It's easier if you think about Hermione, not you. You're doing this for her, for her pleasure and happiness. Her happiness is yours. You get your relief giving it to her. Fight against your instincts, you're more human than wolf. Be what Hermione needs and right now, she needs you to be gentle."

Hermione blinked in surprise when Jacob's eyes closed and his grip loosened significantly, a calm expression taking over his face.

"How'd you know that would work?" She muttered, looking over her shoulder at him.

"I didn't," he admitted, "It's what I tell myself whenever we're together." He tore his eyes from Jacob and peered down at her. "You alright?" He checked.

She nodded and he searched her expression before he nodded as well and then he lowered his head, pressing his mouth against hers, dominating the kiss and distracting her. When he drew his hips back and thrust forward for the first time, it drew ragged gasps from all of them and pulled Jacob back to attention.

From that point, it was a little awkward trying to work around one another but they soon found a rhythm that worked for them and Hermione had quickly become a babbling, incoherent mess as she gasped and whimpered and cried, her hands gripping whatever she could, her skin flushed pink, her t-shirt and her hair sticking to her with sweat both from their activities and being sandwiched between their overly hot bodies.

And then she was tipping over the edge, her toes curling, her heart pounding, struggling to catch her breath and she was concerned for a moment that she'd blackout when her vision went dark. It was the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced and it'd drained her. It all happened far sooner than Paul would've liked but he'd known it was inevitable, and as she clamped and pulsed around them tightly, it brought them both to their completion, Paul burying his face against her neck and Jacob's forehead tipping to press against hers.

Taking a moment to catch their breath, Jacob was the first to draw back, collapsing onto his back, her chest heaving as he stared up at the ceiling. Paul pulled out and rolled onto his back, mimicking Jacob, only he made sure Hermione didn't collapse face-first into the mattress and pillow, helping her to twist onto her back.

She reached up, pushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead, grimacing at her sticky and sweat-slicked body, especially her t-shirt being stuck to her and dampened.

"Oh, God!" She breathed out, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Dreams do come true."

Paul snorted from beside her. "How you feeling?" He asked, turning his head towards her, his expression concerned.

"Sore," she admitted, wincing slightly when she shifted her hips, feeling Jacob's concerned and guilty eyes on her without having to look. "But it was well worth it," she promised. "And I know that it'll be less painful in the future."

"You wanna do it again?" Paul asked amused.

"Yes," she confessed. "You?"

"Definitively," she heard the smirk in his voice.

She turned to look at Jacob questioningly.

"Yeah," he mumbled and she almost hadn't heard him. He was embarrassed, she thought amusedly. He'd soon get over it. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his mouth.

"What're you doing back so early? I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow?" She asked.

"I missed you," he shrugged.

"You picked one hell of a time to come back," Paul remarked and Hermione laughed.

"I'm glad you came home," she said.

"Me too," he admitted quietly.

"Well, I don't know about you but I need a shower, I'm all sticky and sweaty and clammy," she shivered. "And you should probably jump through the shower, too... We're showering separately," Hermione interrupted Paul before he could reply. "I need a chance to heal up after that."

With that, she climbed from beneath the covers and headed for the bathroom, wincing with every step she took but doing her best to hide it. After stripping and stepping under the hot spray, she washed and scrubbed herself clean as quickly as possible before stepping out, drying and summoning clean underwear and a sleepshirt, leaving the shower running. Paul took her place in the bathroom, being in and out in barely five minutes. She'd never met a person who showered as quickly as Paul did, she was almost convinced he was terrified of water and as such made it his mission to do what he needed to do without loitering about.

When he exited wrapped in a towel, Hermione summed some clean boxers so he didn't have to go digging through her wardrobe and he slipped them on, watching as she summoned a variety of potions and creams to help heal her body. After applying some Bruise Remove Paste to her hip, she ingested a Healing Draught, a Numbing Draught and a Pain Potion, Jacob emerging at that point. He slipped into the boxers she summoned and she sent the towels back to the bathroom before they all snuggled into bed in exhaustion.

As they were drifting off, she startled awake at the sound of a bark and it was followed by a quiet meow. Laughing at Jacob's confused expression, Hermione sat up and peered over the side of the bed, not surprised to see Hope and Odin and she reached down and lifted them onto the mattress. Jacob blinked in surprise and bemusement, looking to Hermione questioningly.

"Hope and Odin," she gestured to the kitten and then the puppy, "Paul adopted them from an animal shelter and gave them to me for Christmas."

Jacob's eyes darted to Paul's smug expression whilst he was busy trying to gently nudge the little kitten off his chest, but she just kept climbing back into place and once he gave up, she curled up into a ball.

"It's your body heat," Hermione shrugged, giggling when Odin licked her face. "I'm surprised we didn't disturb them before."

"Where'd they come from?" Asked Jacob, snorting when Odin barked in his face and then lowered his head, Jacob raising his hand and running it through the soft fur obligingly.

"My wardrobe, it's where they seemed most comfortable. They had free reign, my fathers tried to convince Hope to stay with them and the twins did the same with Odin, but they settled in my wardrobe," she shrugged.

Laying down and snuggling against Jacob, she giggled when Odin forced his way in-between them, lying on his back and offering his stomach, wanting a belly rub.

"You're so adorable," cooed Hermione. "But I can't be doing this all night, we need sleep."

After a while, Odin settled and made himself comfortable and they all fell asleep with Paul on his back and Hope sprawled across his chest asleep, Hermione lay facing him, her arm thrown over him and her head pressed against his shoulder with his arm wrapped around her. Jacob lay behind her, his face buried against her neck and his arm thrown over her waist and Odin lay wedged between them, happily dozing.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 28

**Tuesday 26th December 2006**

Hermione wasn't quite sure what woke her. The feeling of intense eyes watching her, the heat that surrounded her, the movement of Jacob shifting in his sleep behind her, Hope's purring, Odin's little yips in his sleep as he dreamt and his paws digging into her lower back, or, the sudden angry chill that settled in the room.

Slowly peeling open her eyes and allowing a moment for her vision to clear, she shifted in the hold of her wolves and was careful when she pulled herself into a sitting position, her eyes slowly taking in her surroundings before they landed firmly on a jealous, furious Edward Cullen.

He stood by the closed door, his hand clenched into fists and his arms folded over his chest, his usually golden eyes had darkened, his expression was cold and angry as his gaze flew between her and her sleeping wolves. Whilst he couldn't read her thoughts, she had no doubt he'd be able to read her wolves', if they were dreaming, he'd see it, if thoughts of the night before flittered through their minds, he'd see it. And given his expression, he had. He knew what'd happened and even if he couldn't read their thoughts, a smell lingered in the air and despite having showered, she could still faintly smell it on her skin, something Edward's much stronger sense of smell would've picked up on.

She opened her mouth to speak but his eyes snapped to her, his expression so terrifying, something she'd yet to see from him, that her words died on her tongue. She turned her eyes to Odin when he released another yip in his sleep, Hermione not being surprised that Edward paid it no mind or confusion. Whilst he had other things that had grabbed his attention, with Edward's ability she knew it was highly likely he'd already known what Paul and Jacob had planned to get her for Christmas.

After digging beneath her pillow and drawing back with her wand in hand, she shifted from her wolves' hold and climbed out of bed without waking them. Pinning Edward with a terrifying glance of her own, he remained silent as he slowly followed her into her bathroom, Hermione locking and silencing the door.

If he was there, it meant he'd been let in by one of her fathers, and if that were the case, the twins were likely awake, too. She didn't want to wake Paul or Jacob or to have their conversation overheard or witnessed by anyone, so her best bet was her bathroom. If either Paul or Jacob woke and needed to use it, they'd have to use one of the others in the tent.

Hermione set her wand on the counter by the sink before she crossed over to the shower, manually setting it to run, deciding it best to wash the remainder of her wolves' scent from her skin as well as the sweat and dampness that clung to her after being sandwiched between them all night.

Once done, she turned to face him and folded her arms over her chest, watching him cautiously. He remained silent, his body tense and eyes locked on her, until he snapped.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" He demanded.

She arched an eyebrow, wondering just how much he knew.

"You'll have to be more specific," she played dumb.

"You slept with them! Together!"

He wasn't just jealous or angry, he appeared a little scandalised actually, and at the realisation, Hermione had to fight back a laugh. She'd forgotten Edward had been born in the early 1900s, a relationship such as theirs unheard of and unaccepted. Edward was a little old fashioned, she'd come to realise. It had taken him time to come to terms with having to share her, but the thought of her being with two of her soul bonds at the same time was something that hadn't crossed his mind until now.

"I did," she nodded, unconcerned.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to," she replied, tipping her head slightly. "I don't see why this is such a big deal, whilst relationships such as ours are taboo, I'm well aware people can and do have multiple sexual partners, sometimes at the same time. It was bound to happen, I just assumed it would in a few years after we'd all settled into our relationship," she shrugged.

"They could've killed you," he argued.

"Don't be so dramatic," she rolled her eyes.

"Dramatic!" He snarled.

"Dramatic," she echoed calmly with a nod. "Paul's always careful with me and last night, he was able to help Jacob find balance, he found a way to help him control his strength so he didn't hurt me."

"They did hurt you! I _saw_ it!"

"Yes, well," she shifted slightly, her stomach knotting at the reminder of the pleasure that swarmed her until she couldn't think, only feel. There was no ache in any part of her body, the potions having helped to heal her aches and pains and she'd never felt better. "I'll admit, it was a little painful in the beginning, but that was to be expected. As far afterwards, trust me, Edward, I was _not_ complaining. As always, they took exceptionally good care of me."

He shifted slightly on his feet and glared at her.

"I am fine, I _wanted_ it to happen. And if you so much as glance at them the wrong way, I'll ward you out of my bedroom for however long I see fit, and I know how it settles you to see me sleeping peacefully," she threatened.

With one last glance his way and deciding they spoken enough on the subject, she whirled around and headed for the shower, retrieving two towels and hanging them on the charmed towel rail to keep them warm. Without looking behind her or asking him to leave, Hermione reached for the hem of her t-shirt and dragged it up her body, over her head and dropping it to the floor.

"Hermione!" Edward squeaked out, scandalised and when she twisted to look over her shoulder, she bit her lip to see that he'd turned his back and was deliberately staring at the ground. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd turned around before he'd caught a glimpse of her arse, knowing his speed and reflexes would allow him to do so.

"Really, Edward?" She asked amusedly, rolling her eyes before she flicked her knickers off her hips and they slid down her legs, pooling at her feet along with her t-shirt, leaving her completely naked, her skin erupting into goosebumps at the chill in the air.

Stepping away from the pile of clothing, she opened the shower door and stepped inside, closing it behind her and stepping under the hot spray of the shower, her skin pinking at the scalding temperature. She loved her showers hot. The steam made it stuffy in the shower enclosure but she paid it no mind, knowing it was good for the sinuses.

Sighing as she tipped her head back, wetting her hair, she said, "You are aware that you'll see me naked plenty of times in the future, yes?"

She didn't bother raising her voice to be heard over the running water, knowing he'd hear her just fine.

"That's not the point," he spluttered and she sniggered.

"No? It's my body, Edward, and I'm comfortable in myself, if I feel comfortable enough to strip in front of you, you don't have to turn away. I know you're curious. Whilst you may have seen images and thoughts in Paul and Jacob's minds, it's an entirely different thing seeing it in person," she reasoned. "The human mind can rarely remember images and the like perfectly."

Peering through the glass, she saw him facing the shower but she knew the steam and frosted glass of the enclosure hid her body from his sight, only showing her silhouette.

She bit her lip, wondering how he'd react to her next words.

"Do you want to join me?"

"Excuse me?" His voice rose and his golden eyes widened.

She sniggered.

"In the shower? Do you want to join me?" She clarified.

"Hermione..."

"What? I need some help reaching my back," she replied innocently. "Edward, I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for, but we have a little over two weeks before we're forcing the battle and our bond hasn't yet been cemented. I know you're not going to stop worrying about me, but the bond will allow for you to protect me from a distance. We'll all be safer for it. You agreed to complete the bond but you wished to work up to it, to test your control. Again, we don't have a lot of time and now that we're preparing for battle, I'll be spending less time with you and more time focusing on readying everyone for what's to come. We have to take the time we have together and make the most of it. Once the holidays have passed, we'll be in full preparation mode. My fathers are even considering pulling me from school so I can spend my time working with the twins to not only figure out a way to reverse the purpose and magic of the Taboo, but to plan and create our defences, too. And on top of that, I have to write and mark examinations, teach you everything you need to know and continue with my training sessions. In all honesty, I'll barely have the time to talk to you let alone complete our bond."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," he replied, Hermione knowing he was frowning without having to look at him.

"I know," she responded softly. "Just think about it."

Turning, she reached for her shampoo and raked her hands through her tangled hair, washing the product from her mass of curls before she reached for the conditioner laced with a Hair Care Potion, helping to tame the frizz of her hair once it dried. As she made to pour the product into her hand, she startled a little when the door of the shower enclosure opened, her eyes widening in surprise when Edward stepped in. She hadn't heard him approaching or removing his clothing.

When he closed the door behind him and stood before her, she was well aware that he was doing a remarkable job of keeping his gaze above her neck, but she supposed with his speed, he could easily glance down at her without her noticing.

"I wasn't expecting you to do it," she confessed.

"I know," he replied, "Which is why I did, and you were right, we don't have a lot of time to be together and we don't know when we'll next get the chance."

Her gaze locked on his, she didn't stop him when he reached for the conditioner bottle, plucking it from her hand and squirting a measure of the product into his palm before he set the bottle off to the side on the little ledge and he hesitantly reached out, his cold fingers carding through her wet hair, massaging her scalp as he did so.

Hermione sighed, her eyes fluttering closed and her head tipping forward a little to press against his naked chest, when his hands moved to the back of her neck. She didn't open her eyes and steal a peek at him, not yet. The coldness of his body was heated by the water, finding it a little odd given how use she'd grown to his ice-cold temperature.

After a moment or two, he tipped her head back into the spray of the shower and her eyes remained closed as he washed the conditioner from her hair, the soft, wet tresses being plastered to her back and falling past her waist.

Opening her eyes, seeing his gaze watching her intently, she said, "Have you been hunting recently?"

"No, why?" His head tilted slightly.

"Your eyes are brighter than usual," she explained, noting the way the golden irises shined.

"I think that's because of you," he admitted through a mutter.

Hermione's mouth twitched in amusement. She was well aware of his reaction to her, feeling the half-erect length in-between them. Whilst her shower was by no means small and could comfortably fit two people, she found herself with a little more space with Edward given his slender build compared to her wolves' stockier forms.

"You can look, you know?" She said in amusement.

"I'm afraid that if I do, I might lose control."

"See, this is where we differ in opinion. As your mate, you could never harm me. You're too careful, you worry too much to allow yourself to let go and live in the moment. But I believe you won't hurt me because you don't want to. It goes against your very nature to protect me and care for me. I believe you to be in a similar circumstance as Jacob. You haven't had the opportunity to learn to control yourself in such situations but once you do, I'll doubt I'll have a mark on me."

"I don't want to risk harming you."

She sighed and shook her head. "You're a bloody nuisance," she said fondly, reaching for the bar of soap and washcloth, not being surprised when he took them both from her.

He started at her shoulders and moved down her arms and to her hands, keeping his eyes locked on hers the entire time. His hands hesitated slightly when he reached her neck and dragged the soapy cloth over her collar bones and down to her chest, Hermione shifting into his hesitant touch as he swiped the cloth over her breasts, Edward faltering slightly with his eyes closing tightly and his breath hitching when his skin brushed the soft, warm flesh. Dragging the cloth lower and feeling the raised skin, his eyes opened and he lowered his gaze for the first time, but he didn't look to her naked chest, rather, the scar that lived on her torso.

A frown settled on his face as he reached up with his other hand, his fingers skimming the raised scar tissue, a shiver racing down Hermione's spine, sending heat to her core.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," she said softly.

"The one who did it...?" His jaw ticked and his teeth clenched in anger.

"Dolohov, he's alive."

He took a calming breath, both hearing it and feeling it as his chest brushed against hers.

"Not for much longer," he vowed in a promise.

When Hermione shifted on her feet, he thankfully swiped the cloth over her stomach and hips before turning her around so he might reach her back and not being confident enough to move lower, he set the cloth off to the side. Hermione turned to face him once more, closing the distance and pressing herself against him, her arms folding around him and her cheek pressing against his chest, his arms automatically winding around her.

Hermione wasn't sure how long they stayed that way under the spray of the hot water, and one moment they were cuddling and the next she was reaching up and pressing her mouth against his, coaxing him out of his hesitation and worry, as was usual, and when she pulled back for air, she wasn't surprised to find her back being pressed against the tiled wall and Edward caging her in with his body.

"Do you want to test your control?" She asked breathlessly.

His gaze locked on hers, he nodded slowly, the movement so small she'd almost missed it. She had a feeling she'd have to direct him as she had Jacob and so she reached for the hand that sat on her hip and brought it to her chest, encouraging him to cup and knead her breast. There was a stark contrast between the hot water and his colder hand, her skin erupting in goosebumps and her nipples hardening into peaks.

He was careful and explorative with his movements, a frown of concentration set on his face and when he brushed her nipple with the palm of his hand, she gasped and her head tipped back.

"You're not hurting me," she assured him after his golden eyes had snapped to her in concern.

Taking her at her word, he continued with his exploration, Hermione being more than surprised when a short while later, his hand lowered and smoothed over her flat stomach, heading south, all without her guidance or directive. A choked moan caught in her throat and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip when his fingers slipped through her wet folds, expertly finding the little bundle of nerves and applying pressure, Hermione's crying out in surprise, her hands flying to grip onto his upper arms.

"Don't you dare stop," she warned after he'd paused, peeling her eyes open before they fluttered closed.

Thankfully, he continued with his light, teasing touch, until he unexpectedly slipped two fingers into her.

Her body arched against him, a cry fell from her lips, her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing sped up. He was cautious but curious as he moved his fingers inside her, Hermione finding the strength to lift her head from the wall and open her eyes, seeing him watching her intensely, his gold eyes darkening with lust.

Unable to stop herself, she lifted her leg, hooking it over his hip, moaning when his fingers slipped deeper inside her and she heard his intake of breath, his nostrils flaring as the scent of her arousal filled his nose, a growl rumbling in his throat. Reaching out, she settled her hand palm flat against his lightly muscled chest, allowing it inch lower, alerting him to her intentions. Once again, he surprised her when he didn't stop her, his eyes closing and his head tipping when she curled her small hand around him, this part of his anatomy being surprisingly warmer than the rest of him.

The water raining over them allowed for the easy pumping of her hand over him, timing her movements to that of his own hand. When her hips rocked against his hand, he added a third digit, his thumb reaching to the little bundle of nerves, her knees almost buckling beneath her as pleasurable shocks ran through her, Edward wrapping his free arm around her and holding her up.

"I'm so close," she whispered breathlessly, her head tipping back.

Feeling his eyes on her, her gaze locked with his, seeing his darkened orbs, the heavy rise and fall of his chest and his parted mouth. He was watching her intensely, lustfully, and Merlin, did she want to climb him like a tree and bury him inside her forever.

She reached up, claiming his mouth and he was the first to draw back, his mouth trailing kisses over her cheek and down her jaw, his face nuzzling at her neck and Hermione tilted her head, showing the trust she had in him not to give in to his urges and bite her. When he dragged his teeth over her shoulder, she shuddered and tightened her grip on him, hearing his groan. Smiling to herself, she realised he was close when his hips pumped into her hand and she used every trick she knew to drag him over the edge.

When Edward found that special spot inside of her at the same time his mouth latched onto the weak spot behind her ear, she cried out his name, burying her face against his neck as she went hurtling over the cliff and into her orgasm, Edward groaning as her inner walls clamped and pulsed around his fingers tightly, and her grip on him tightened, too, sending him into his own relief.

He muttered something in a language she didn't understand, knowing he was able to speak almost twenty languages, something that she found highly impressive. A growl wrapped around the words and when her body stopped shaking, her leg lowered from his hip and Hermione released her hold on him after feeling him fall limp in her hand, being spent, she set her hand on his hip and slumped into the wall behind her, her head tipping back and her eyes remaining closed as she worked to right her breathing.

Edward kept his face buried in her neck, his nose nuzzling at her skin, his chest brushing hers with every breath he took, something she found funny given that he didn't need to breathe, it was either a reflex reaction, something he did out of habit or he was unconsciously mimicking her own breathing pattern. The hand that gripped his upper arm smoothed up to his shoulder and into his wet hair, her fingers running through the strands and scratching at his scalp comfortingly.

He muttered something again, something she didn't understand as he'd said it in that same foreign language as before and she made a mental note to find out what it was and learn it.

"What?" She asked softly, feeling content and sleepy.

"Are you okay?" He muttered, not seeming to want to remove his face from her neck and she was quite comfortable cuddling him so she wasn't going to complain.

"Perfect," she promised. "If you found it difficult to control yourself, I couldn't tell. You never once hurt me, not even by accident, and there's not a mark on me, well, except maybe on my neck, you seemed determined to leave a mark there," she said amusedly; she wouldn't be surprised if she saw a love bite forming when she looked in the mirror.

"It wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be," he admitted.

"Hmmm, but that may change once we complete the bond," she said, knowing the turn his thoughts had taken. "You're full of surprises," she changed the subject. "You seemed to know exactly what you were doing? And here I was thinking I was to be the only woman you're to be intimate with."

"You are," he muttered, slightly embarrassed, she noted. She'd have to nip that in the bud, she realised. "As I've said before, my ability is both a blessing and a curse. I've found that nine out of ten people often have sex on their mind, whether they realise it or not. Being able to see their thoughts... Whilst it's horrifying when they're reliving memories, it certainly paid off for me now."

She laughed lightly. "So, are you more confident in your decision to complete the bond?"

"I think so," he nuzzled at her throat once more, breathing in her scent, happily noting that she smelled like _him_ , more so than she did the wolves.

"Good, do you want to do it now?"

His head lifted and he stared down at her in surprise, his eyes once more golden in colour.

She laughed at him and he cleared his throat.

"I think someone might come looking for us."

She nodded, knowing he was right. They'd have to find some time to sneak away together before the battle.

"Then we best wash up and get ourselves out there, I wouldn't be surprised if Paul and Jacob are up by now and Remus might come looking for us. I'm not in the mood to be dealing with a pissed werewolf."

He snorted at her before stepping back from her, allowing her to reach for the soap and washcloth and she set to work washing his cold skin, batting his hands away when he tried to do it himself.

"I hope you know I can't accept your gift," she remarked from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow.

"It's too expensive."

The previous day when she'd opened her gift from Edward, it had been a small box wrapped perfectly in red and gold with a neatly tied bow, and after removing the wrapping paper and opening the small black box, she found a key fob inside. It sat alone, it held no key chains, symbols or signs to help determine the brand, make or model, but she knew a car key when she saw one. And knowing Edward and the Cullens, they were much like Sirius in the regard that only the best was acceptable, which meant he wouldn't have bought her a second-hand car. No, he'd have gone straight to the damn dealership.

"I know a car key when I see one and I know you, you'd never buy a second-hand car. You are aware that I can't drive, right? Or that I have no need for a car?"

He shrugged his shoulders, reaching up to brush his wet hair out of his face before his arms settled around her, holding her against him once she'd put the soap and washcloth on the ledge.

"I know you can magically travel wherever you wish to go within the blink of an eye, but the journey itself is half the fun. You've never experienced a road trip before, have you?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "When I was a kid, I lived close enough to my school to walk there and back, and the supermarket was only a ten minute walk. My parents drove to work but I never spent much time with them given their work schedule. As for holidays, I was always half asleep when we drove to the airport, given that our flights always left in the early hours of the morning. I don't see the need in driving, not when you, Jacob and Paul do so and two of you have access to cars. And I imagine that with you, should we ever go anywhere together, you won't tire and we won't have to take shifts driving, not to mention, with your reflexes, eyesight and speed, we'd never have an accident, your abilities allowing you to see a threat before it happens."

"Hmmm," he mused thoughtfully, seeing her point. "Still, you're a teenage girl, it's a rite of passage that you learn to drive, and I'm going to teach you," he promised.

She snorted. "I don't have a permit, and I can't apply for one either, I don't have an actual address given that I live in a tent in the middle of nowhere."

He arched an eyebrow. "Should we ever get caught, I wouldn't be surprised if you could use a little magic to get us out of it."

"I could," she admitted, "And I wouldn't be surprised if you used your vampire allure to charm your way out of it."

"I could," he nodded. "As for the car, it's _yours_."

"But I don't need it," she sighed.

"I didn't purchase it because you needed it, I did so because I wanted you to have it. As for the key fob, it's not the actual car key; I didn't want you to figure out the make or model before I had the chance to show you it."

"As if I know anything about cars anyway," she rolled her eyes. "Paul and Jacob are going to be right mardy with you, you know? They don't have access to the funds you do and as such, their gifts were nowhere near as expensive as yours and I'm going to have to work hard to convince them that despite the cost of their gifts, I adore them just the same and they are meaningful to me. Paul gave me Odin and Hope as he knew how much I missed Crookshanks, but he hadn't expected to adopt Hope, too. And Jacob, not only did he give me his great-Grandmother's blanket, something of a Black heirloom, but he _made_ me a traditional wall tapestry. He's teaching me about his family, Tribe and culture, something that's important to him."

Reaching behind her, she turned off the shower and stepped from Edward's hold, opening the shower door and snatching the warm towels from the rail, handing one to him and folding the other around herself. After squeezing the water from her hair, she climbed out of the shower and slipped her feet into the slippers she kept nearby before she crossed over to the mirror, reaching for her hairbrush on the counter, removing the tangles before she dried it.

Seeing Edward make no move to dry or dress and noticing him watching her, she lifted her eyes to him.

"What?" She asked.

His mouth twitched and he shook his head.

"Seriously, what is it?"

"You're so beautiful."

She fought down the blush that threatened to cover her cheeks.

"Before I met you, Jacob and Paul, I didn't see myself as such."

"And now?"

"Between you, I'm told it every day and with those words, I _do_ believe it. I know that I'll never be the person I once was, but I'm happy with who I am, and I'm happy with who I've become. I've accepted there are things I can't change in life and there are things I can't be, and because of that, I'm happy. And that's partially because of you."

~000~000~000~

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Edward," said Hermione, her hand held in his as he led them down the steps of the Cullen house and towards the garage.

After spending the morning and most of the day lounging about the tent with her soul bonds, fathers, brothers and her new pets, she and Edward had left a little after dinner, Hermione apparating them to the Cullen house so she might visit with them for a while. After a couple of hours, Edward took her by the hand and made their excuses, Alice calling out that Hermione would 'love it', knowing what he wished to show her.

"No?"

"No," she confirmed.

He snorted at her before he opened the side door, flipped the switch on the wall until the garage was bathed with soft, white light and he tugged her inside, the door closing behind them. Hermione blinked in surprise, her eyes darting about and examining her surroundings. The garage was a lot bigger than she'd realised. Not only did it house a shockingly large number of vehicles (something she thought there was absolutely no need for) but it had custom-built storage, no doubt containing their tools and whatnot, cleverly maximising space.

"This place is like Narnia," she muttered.

Edward laughed. "I've seen your closet," he pointed out.

"That was done with magic," she argued.

Shaking his head at her, he pulled her forward until they reached the first car and it was huge, the tyres alone looked to be half her size, though she did appreciate the striking red colouring of the paintwork.

"Emmet's Jeep Wrangler," he gestured to it with a wave of his hand before he tugged her forward, briefly stopping before a second red vehicle on the right of it. "Rosalie's BMW M3 convertible." Hermione tipped her head slightly, her eyes scanning it curiously as he tugged her forward. "Carlisle's Mercedes," he gestured to the black sleek car, "Jasper's Ducati 848," he pointed to the only motorcycle in the garage. "You've already seen my Volvo S60R," he gestured to the silver vehicle she recognised well, but then she noticed the black sleek car beside it, it reminding Hermione of some kind of sports vehicle. "This is my pride and joy, my Aston Martin V12 Vanquish," he explained proudly.

Hermione blinked slowly. "You are aware I have no idea what I'm looking at, yes?" He laughed at her, shaking his head. "And why do you have _two_ cars?" She arched an eyebrow.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Vampire thing," he said, as if that explained everything and she rolled her eyes. "The Volvo's my everyday car, the Martin's my special occasion car."

"And what classifies as a special occasion?"

His mouth twitched into a smirk. "You'll find out soon enough," he promised before tugging her to the final car in the lineup, this one also black. He dug into his coat pocket and removed a key fob, depositing it in her hand, Hermione glancing down to the see the four-ringed symbol that could also be seen on the car. "And this is _your_ car. A 2004 Audi A6 Quattro Sedan," he smiled down at her.

She blinked slowly, struggling to comprehend what she was looking at it. He'd bought her a bloody car for Christmas! And it was even equipped with a damn red bow, too! What was he thinking buying her such an expensive gift, something she'd hardly use? Hermione surmised he obviously _hadn't_ been thinking.

"Do you want the specs?"

Clearing her throat, she said, "Am I going to understand what any of it means?"

He chuckled. "Probably not," he shook his head. "If I simplify it, the Audi's safe, reliable and fitted with all the bells and whistles you could want."

Her eyes darting between the key fob in her hand and the car before her, she sighed. "Edward, you know I love you and whilst I appreciate the thought and gesture, I can't accept this. It's far too expensive."

"You gave me handwritten notes from _the_ Beethoven, something that had a value greater than this car and it was a thank you for hosting you at the house," he argued. "This is _not_ too expensive a gift. If I'm honest, I had intended to buy something else but Alice and Rosalie stepped in. They knew you would struggle to accept such a gift and they convinced me to lower my budget significantly. If it makes you feel better, my Martin's worth four, possibly five times more than the Audi I bought you."

"It really doesn't."

He snorted before taking her hand once more, tugging her closer to the car so she might get a better look, hoping she'd change her mind about accepting it. It was already paid for in full and registered to her, not him, and at his address, too.

~000~000~000~

"Edward, I really don't think this is a good idea," said Hermione, her hands clenched tightly around the steering wheel of her begrudgingly accepted car.

After taking a seat inside, Edward had done his best to explain all of the features and functions to her in layman's terms, the vampire being so patient with her and her obvious confusion and difficulty to grasp his words, Hermione had found it hard to not accept the car. After almost half an hour sat in the car in the Cullen's garage, Edward convinced her that they should take it for a drive and after leaving the Cullen's property and Edward driving with no particular destination in mind, he pulled over at the side of the empty road.

She was now sitting in the driver's seat, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing quickening and sweat slicking at her forehead. She was terrified. How the hell had she let him talk her into this?

"You'll be fine and you'll do great. I've come to learn there isn't much you can't do when you put your mind to it. Just remember everything I've told you and you're not alone, I'm right here beside you."

"I don't have a licence or permit. It's too dark. I've never done this before, I shouldn't be driving in the dark if I can't even drive during the day! And there's bloody snow on the ground! I shouldn't be driving in such conditions on a first attempt! It's dark _and_ there's snow covering the road! It's dangerous! What if we get caught? What if I crash the car? This is too expensive a car to learn to drive in. I don't even _want_ to learn to drive," she rambled, panic setting in and she hadn't even turned on the ignition yet.

"Hermione, breathe," Edward said softly, his hand coming up to cup the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. She relaxed a little at his touch, the coldness of his hand helping to fend off the sweat slicking her skin. "I have faith in you, I know you can do it. It's easy, I promise. If you do happen to crash the car, which you won't," he said confidently, "It's just a car."

"An expensive car," she interrupted.

"It's still a car, you know I've a small fortune of my own, and you're the wealthiest woman in Europe, stop worrying. We won't be caught. These roads are quiet during the day, worse at night and it's the holidays. We won't see anyone on these roads, not for miles, especially given the time," he gestured to the dashboard with a tip of his head, the clock showing it was a little past nine o'clock and it had long since grown darker and colder. As a precaution, Hermione had locked the doors, being afraid that something might jump out at them despite knowing both she and Edward were more than capable of dealing with such an occasion.

"As for the snow, I don't doubt you know some magic to get rid of it, improving the road conditions. So, take a deep breath, adjust your seat if you have to or you don't feel comfortable, turn on the engine, shift the car into drive, remember to check your mirrors and then off you go. It's that simple."

"I haven't even passed the theory test," she argued.

"No, but I'm sure you'd ace it like you do every other test you've taken. The majority of it is common sense. I'll prove it. You're approaching a crossroads late at night, you see a stop sign and not seeing any other vehicles nearby, should you stop or continue?"

"Stop or at the very least, slow down," she answered.

"Why?" He tipped his head.

"It's best not to take the risk, there's always a chance of a car speeding, coming out of nowhere, or a car on the road that doesn't have its headlights on, meaning it can't be seen until it's too late."

"Right," he nodded. "You're approaching a crossing, you see someone stood at the side of the road. Who has right of way?"

"The pedestrian, especially if they already have one foot on the crossing."

"Right. What side do you use for overtaking?"

"The right."

"See, it's common sense," he shrugged. "Right now, you know everything you need to and I'm right beside you. As you said yourself, I can spot a threat before you and warn you should I have to. Now, no more stalling, I don't want to be here all night and have your fathers worry about you."

Scowling at him, she took a moment to calm herself the best she could, shifting on the leather seat to make herself more comfortable and with Edward's much taller height, she did have to adjust the seat so she could reach the pedals. After she'd pulled her wand from her boot and cast a spell to melt the snow on the road, she cast a charm around the car, more specifically, the tyres. Stowing her wand back in her boot, she hesitantly reached out and turned the key, the engine coming to life and Hermione startled slightly, catching the sight of Edward biting his lip to stop himself from laughing at her and she reached out and smacked his arm with the back of her hand in warning.

"Now shift it into drive and pull off," he instructed.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath before doing as he said, slowly easing her foot off the break and lightly pressing against the accelerator. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel and a squeak of surprise left her when the car slowly rolled forward.

"Good," Edward praised, his hand yet to leave the back of her neck and his thumb swiped over her skin comfortingly. "Relax," he instructed, seeing her white knuckles and tense form. "You're doing really well, now, press a little harder on the accelerator."

"I'm scared," she admitted.

"You've nothing to be afraid of, I promise. Just give it a try."

Holding her breath, she pressed a little harder on the pedal, squeaking when the car sped up.

"Now, I want you to slow to a gentle stop and then pull off again."

Gritting her teeth and clenching her jaw, she did exactly that and putting her trust in Edward, she continued to follow his instructions. Half an hour later, Hermione had relaxed considerably, she felt a little more confident and she barely thought twice about following Edward's instructions, being confident enough to perform a three-point turn when they'd landed themselves on a dead-end road.

"Okay, this is easier than I'd thought it'd be," Hermione admitted, not yet feeling confident enough to turn her eyes away from the road, even for a quick glance.

"I told you so, you're a natural," Edward smiled at her.

"Is it normal for my ankles to be hurting?"

He snorted. "Yes, given how long you've been driving and that you're not used to it, it's normal. You'll stop noticing it and it'll stop hurting when you start driving regularly."

"My arse is numb, too."

He laughed, the sound filling the car, carrying over the sound of the heat blowing from the air vents, keeping the car warm for Hermione, and the quiet radio that played in the background.

Pulling up at the side of the road, not far from where they'd started, Hermione switched off the ignition and turned to face him.

"Well, you know the basics, all that's left to do is teach you the manoeuvres, get you on the road with traffic and you'll be ready to pass your test in no time."

"I said it was easier than I thought it would be, not that it wasn't terrifying because it bloody well was," she grumbled and he snorted at her. "As for future lessons, I imagine they'll have to wait until after the battle and we deal with the aftermath. Tomorrow, training resumes and I have to split my time between training, working with the twins in my lab, putting together the information packs and writing the exam papers."

"You work too hard," his brow furrowed in concern.

She smiled sadly. "I'm under a lot of pressure and I can't wait until it's all over and I can live a normal life, well, as normal a life an ex-soldier witch who is engaged to a vampire and two shape-shifters can possibly have."

His hand came up to press against her cheek and her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into his touch, a sigh falling from her lips. Her mouth twitched into a smile when she felt his mouth press against hers; she was usually the first one to initiate the kiss, she could count on one hand the number of times he'd done so.

As she allowed him to control the kiss, both being mindful of his venomous fangs, she grew lost in him, in the feeling of his hands burying in her hair, his fingers getting tangled in her curls, of her hands fisting into his shirt and tugging him closer to her. She was the first to draw back, sucking in a lungful of air and being surprised when she stared down at Edward's bright golden eyes glowing in the darkness as she straddled him in his seat. She couldn't recall how it had happened but it had most likely been his doing.

"Was this you or me?" She asked.

His brow furrowed, his eyes darting between. "Honestly, I'm not sure."

She snorted. "Well, considering you're supposed to be able to process information faster than me and be more aware of your surroundings and actions, I take it as a compliment that I'm able to distract you as much as you do me."

"You're so much more than a distraction. You _beguile_ me," he muttered, his hand untangling from her hair, his fingers skimming her face, over her jaw and down her neck before settling against her waist, his fingers gently curling around her.

"Big word," she teased, his mouth twitching into a smile of amusement. "You can be very sweet when you want to be," she sighed, her own hand releasing its grip of his shirt and her fingers ghosting over his jaw, Edward's eyes fluttering closed and his head tipping further into her touch. "No matter how handsome you are when you brood, I live for moments like this. When you're relaxed, unconcerned... Free."

A puff of air left his mouth. "When I'm with you, I don't have to hide who I am or who I wish to be. And although I'm always worried for your safety, I know you're well protected. Between your own fierceness and capabilities, your fathers and family, the pack and my family, nothing will ever be able to hurt you. I just want you safe and happy."

"I am," she assured him. "And once the threat of death and danger is no longer hanging over my head, that is when our lives together will truly begin. That is when we can focus on nothing but meaningless homework assignments and finding time to sneak off together so we might have some time alone away from my fathers, Jacob and Paul. That is when we can marry..." She felt his hand on her waist tighten slightly as he pulled her closer, his eyes darkening with possessiveness and hunger. "When we can decide what we wish to do with our lives, and though I know we may never be able to leave here, due to Jacob and Paul's responsibilities and bond to the pack, it doesn't mean you have to leave as you'll worry people will notice you're not ageing. There are potions that can alter appearances, as well as Illusion Charms and if the twins and I put our heads together, I'm sure we can think of a way to charm an item so that as long as you have it on your person, no one will be able to see the true you, allowing you to have any career you wish, something I know you've never been capable of having. Perhaps you might even find a way to work from home," she shrugged.

"And when I have children, no matter if they are sired by Jacob or Paul, you will be their father, too, and they will love you. As they grew, their norm will be that they have three fathers, two who are capable of shifting into wolves and one who is a vampire."

"Do you know how many you wish to have and when?" He asked curiously.

She nibbled her lip before answering, "I hated being an only child growing up; whilst I was spoiled more than most of the children on my street, I had no one to share it all with, to play with, especially when my parents were always working and I was left with a babysitter more interested in the TV than me. I always pictured myself with two children, but since discovering my soul bonds, I think I might like four."

"Four," he arched an eyebrow, his mouth twitching in amusement.

" _Four_ ," she confirmed, "Two fathered by Jacob and two fathered by Paul. As for genders, I don't so much care of the ratio but I would like to have at least one of each. Magically and legally, I need a male heir to continue the Black family line, and it doesn't matter who is the father. And when? I don't know. When I feel ready, when I feel we're _all_ ready. Whilst it's guaranteed that we'll be financially supported given my wealth and yours, and we'll never struggle to pay a single bill or the child-rearing costs, and I know they'll have a stable and loving family, I am well aware that our relationship is still new and our circumstances whilst accepted in my world, are odd. It will take a few years for us all to fit comfortably with one another, and until then, I wish to wait. As well as decide what I wish to do with my own life regarding a career choice, of course."

"A witch and her three husbands, four children, a cat _and_ a dog, that is going to be one busy house," he remarked through a mutter, his face burying in her neck, his nose nuzzling at her skin, breathing in her scent and pressing a light kiss against her pulse point.

Hermione inhaled deeply, one hand tugging at his hair, the other curling into a fist as it rested in place against his neck.

"Not to mention, it is likely to be overrun with the pack, your family and my fathers, and also, it is highly likely we will have more pets."

"Oh?"

"Yes," she breathed out, tipping her head to the side to give him better access. "Do not forget than any child of mine is highly likely to be magical and every magical child has a familiar, and that can range from a toad to an owl, to a rat to a cat. A _very_ busy house, indeed, and, I can't wait to have that life with you."

A groan rumbled in his chest and his mouth latched onto hers, stealing her breathing metaphorically and literally. It was no surprise that she felt Edward's hand shift from her hip and to her thigh, his cold palm and dancing fingers sliding up her skin, burying beneath her dress. It seemed their little activities in the shower that morning had given him some confidence and emboldened him, and Hermione, having long since felt her stomach fluttering, her heart pounding and liquid heat pooling south after his gentle, feather-light touch, had never been more glad that she'd chosen to wear a dress.

Before heading to the Cullen's after dinner, despite the current climate, Hermione had changed into a light grey, knitted jumper dress that Alice had given her for Christmas, the black leather knee-high boots Rosalie had gifted her, and she'd slotted the black, long pea coat with grey fur on the lapels and around the wrists, over the top, a gift from Esme. Not only had they all fitted together nicely, but they also were lovely and warm and helped to fend off the chill, as did the lit fireplace in the Cullen's house, it having already warmed most of the ground floor when they'd arrived.

Since getting in the car, Hermione had long since lost her coat and it lay in the back seat along with Edward's brown pea coat, Hermione no longer needing it as it was lovely and warm in the car thanks to the heating, and Edward wishing to have more room to move and not be as restricted.

Hermione's breath hitched and she drew her mouth from Edward's when she felt the first touch of his hand against her clothed centre, her head tipping back, her eyes fluttering closed and her hair cascading down her back, feeling his darkened gaze watching her. Hermione last track of time and grew lost in the feeling of his mouth trailing kisses across her face and against her neck and throat, and of his hand being buried beneath her dress and in her knickers, her hips rocking against his hand.

She wasn't entirely sure how long it took for her breathing to come out in little breathless gasps, for her stomach to stop knotting painfully, for her face to flush, it disappearing under the neckline of her dress, and when she felt her inner muscles clenching and spasming around his fingers, she wasn't certain if she was disappointed that it was over so soon, or if she was annoyed that it had taken so long. As the pleasure ebbed and she came down from her high, Edward's hand was no longer buried between them but resting against her hip as she slumped forward, her face burying in his neck as she did her best to control her breathing. Edward held her gently, his nose nuzzling at her neck, his hand smoothing over the length of her clothed back slowly as he hummed in content.

Lifting her head, her glassy eyes locked with his dark orbs, no sign of the golden colouring she'd grown to love. And whilst he watched her adoringly, there was something hungry and primal about his stare.

Taking a breath, she said, "Do you want to complete the bond now?" Her haze locked with his, her hands resting atop his shoulders, she was convinced he'd decline. Again.

He took a deep breath, of which, he didn't need, ensured he had her full attention and then he took her by surprise when his eyes darted over her face, taking in her flushed skin and soft features before he nodded.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry?" Both eyebrows rose high on her forehead, almost disappearing into her hairline.

His mouth twitched. "I want to complete our bond. _Now_ ," he clarified.

She blinked slowly, her eyes carefully examining his expression before a smile pulled at her mouth and she nodded, closing the little distance between them and pressing her mouth to his. Her hands smoothed down his chest, coming to a stop on the buttons of his shirt before she popped the first three open, Hermione's hand slipping inside and heating his cold skin as her fingers danced and tickled over his chest, catching his groan in her mouth.

When her hands moved lower and Hermione shifted slightly in his lap, feeling the bulge in his jeans and needing a little more space to reach her hands in-between them, she made quick work of unfastening his belt, button and zip, almost growing frustrated and magically removing them. Before her hand delved into his jeans and boxers, his hand quickly intercepted and he drew back from her, his darkened gaze locking with hers.

"Do you have your potion?"

She sighed. "Edward, I honestly don't believe I'm going to need it. You never hurt me once this morning, accidentally or otherwise. As I said, I am your mate and harming me goes against your very nature to protect me."

"I'd rather not take that risk," he said, his expression and tone telling her he wasn't going to back down.

"For the record, I have more faith in you than you do yourself," she sighed, holding her hand up and a potion vial whizzed from the back seat and into her hand, Hermione removing the stopper and downing the contents of the vial before it disappeared from her hand with a 'pop'.

Edward glanced at her amusedly. "I wasn't expecting you to have one with you," he commented.

She shrugged. "Whilst I don't have my beaded bag on me like I usually do, I did stuff a Strengthening Potion in my pocket as a precaution. I never expected that we'd find ourselves alone without anyone to potentially see or overhear, and neither did I expected for you to agree so easily given how stubborn you've been."

"And you're certain you're okay, not hurt or injured?" He checked, his eyes flashing with possessiveness and jealousy, alerting her to the fact he was referring to what had happened between her and her wolves the night before, Hermione being all but certain that was what had finally pushed him to give in to his stubbornness.

"I'm perfectly fine," she promised, "Just as I was this morning, my potions and creams had me all healed up and free of aches and pains before I'd even woken. And now that I've taken my potion..." She set her hand on his shoulder and squeezed, Edward's eyes widened as his gaze flew down to his shoulder after feeling a sharp stab of pain run through him. "Might we continue?"

Tipping her head, her mouth twitched when rather than answering with words, he lurched forward, his mouth latching onto hers, his arms folding around her and holding her to him and releasing his grip on her hand, allowing it to burrow into his jeans and boxers, her fingers curling around the warmest part of him. He groaned into her mouth, his arms tightening around her in a manner than might've been painful if she didn't have the potion in her system, and with a little shifting and rise of his hips, Hermione was able to tug his clothing down far enough that his hardened length sprung free and she was able to pump her hand over him without obstacle, particularly when she muttered against his lips and cold lubrication covered her hand, Edward's grip once more tightening and a growl rumbled in his chest and sent a shiver right through her.

She was quick to learn what he liked and what he didn't and when she twisted her wrist and tightened her grip, Edward's hand darted down to prevent her from further movement. He drew back from, the rise and fall of his chest matching hers, his gaze hungry and half-lidded and nodding in understanding, she rose up, muttered a spell that had her underwear vanishing and shifted her position over him before she held him at her entrance, hearing a growl rumble in his chest as her heat radiated over him and he felt the wetness of her arousal against him.

With her gaze locked on his, she took that final step and slowly, torturously, sank down onto him. He groaned low in his throat, his eyes closed, his head tipped back and his hands gripped at her hips so tightly, even with the Strengthening Potion she'd taken, she was half-convinced he'd popped her hip out of place, but none of that distracted from her own pleasure of him being buried inside her, this part of his anatomy surprisingly warmer than the rest of him and her body pulsed and clenched around him. She sighed happily, one hand burying in his hair and the other settling on his shoulder.

When he finally opened his eyes to lock gazes with her, she moved her hips over him, her hands tightening their grip on him, his hands holding her hips and soon helping to guide her in her movements and then she buried her face against his neck, kissing, nipping and licking at his cold skin, moving as low across his chest as she was able to without it being too uncomfortable.

She found it funny that despite him not needing to breathe as she did, the rise of fall of his chest matched hers, she gasped and puffed out little breaths of air, her skin flushed, her thighs shook on either side of him and she felt her body shuddering each time a groan or growl sounded from him. It was to her complete surprise that she found herself crying out his name as she buried her face in his neck, when a sudden wave of pleasure ploughed into her, sending her tumbling off the edge when his hand buried beneath her bunched up dress, his hand flattening against her abdomen and his long fingers allowing him to reach down and circle the little bundle of nerves.

Her cries rang in the car, mixing with his heavy breathing and groans, and as her body clamped and spasmed around him as she slumped against him tiredly, he kept the movement of her hips going, his own rising and pumping into her until moments later, he pulled her into him and held still, his body tensing and stiffening beneath her as he found his own relief.

She felt the tension of his body leave him as he slumped back into the seat, his body sliding down the leather a little and he folded his arms around her, holding her to him gently and she ran her fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp.

"Well," Hermione breathed out, snuggling against him, "That's one way to break the car in."

Edward snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, I never expected for us to complete our bond in a car at the side of a sparsely used road..." She giggled, the sound warming his cold, dead heart. A sigh slipped from his lips when he felt the warmth and comfort filling his chest and stomach, swarming him. "I never thought I'd agree to do it at all," he admitted. "Damn, I was an idiot," he muttered, nuzzling at her neck.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, you were quite stubborn," she agreed, "Just think, if you'd have listened to me all those weeks ago..."

"If I'd have known it felt like this, I wouldn't have been so stubborn," he swore and she laughed. "I love you."

She sighed happily. "I love you, too," she replied, nuzzling her own nose against his cold skin. "Well, as much as I hate to say this, it is getting rather late and my fathers will worry." He hummed in agreement but made no move to release her. "I think it's best that you drive us back, I'm exhausted." She felt his mouth twitch and she removed her hand from his hair to slap at his shoulder, hearing him wince as it actually did hurt a little with the potion still in her system, before he chuckled as he pressed his lips to her pulse point. "Don't, whilst you don't require the need to breathe which results in it being possible for you to get out of breath or tire, my wolves do and despite that, they have _very_ good stamina."

"Just not as good as mine," he gloated.

Hermione rolled her eyes before she drew back from him, seeing his eyes slowly return to the gold colouring she loved so much. She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his in a chaste kiss, but he held her in place until she was breathless and drew back for air, looking quite pleased with himself. Shifting off him, she righted her dress and he tucked himself back into his underwear and jeans, refastened his zip, button and belt and then used his vampire speed to shift into the driver's seat, Hermione blinking as one moment he was before her and the next he was beside her.

Giving her head a shake, she slumped into the passenger's seat, lazily fastening her seatbelt, noting he didn't wear his, _again_ , and he started the engine and started the journey back to his house.

"Can you feel it?" She asked sleepily, struggling to keep her eyes open.

He looked to her, Hermione not feeling the slightest bit afraid or worried that he was driving triple the speed limit or that he wasn't looking at the road, knowing that with his speed he'd be able to glance out the window repeatedly and without her noticing or seeing.

He smiled at her, it lighting up his features and he reached out, his hand curling around hers and he brought it up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"I can feel it," he nodded, not needing her to elaborate. Before, he'd felt cold and empty inside, but now, now that they'd completed their bond, he was filled with warmth and happiness, he felt that same awareness of being around Hermione and her magic _inside_ of him.

"I should tell you, seeing as you're so adamant that you put a ring on my finger... We're already technically married."

"What?" He blinked in surprise.

She smiled at him sleepily. "When we completed our bonds, it more or less fused our souls together. Magically and in the eyes of Wizarding Law, we _are_ married, but, of course, that doesn't mean we can't have a ceremony and do so on paper."

He smiled at her, his god-like beauty making her dizzy and with her sleepy state, it took her longer than usual to shake it off.

"Can I sleep at yours tonight?"

He looked to her, once more blinking in surprise before a smile pulled at his mouth and he nodded. She would be alone with him _all_ night. She'd be snuggled up beside him whilst not being pawed at by her other mates.

"Your fathers?" He questioned.

Hermione yawned before she reached down to the floor of the car and picked up her fallen wand that had slipped from her boot, and with a muttered _Expecto Patronum_ , her wolf hovered outside the window shield, looking to her expectantly.

"Alpha, Papa, I know it's late and I don't want to worry you, so, I'm going to stay over at Edward's tonight, I'll be back in the morning but let's push training back till about ten o'clock, agreed?" She said, sending it off to her fathers.

"They'll be okay with you staying with me?" He asked, knowing how protective they were of her.

"Fine," she nodded, trying to stifle a second yawn and failing. "Whilst I'm not in the safety of the tent and surrounded by magic and wards, I will be in a house filled with vampires who not only don't sleep, but are capable of detecting a threat before it happens through their capabilities, not to mention your ability to read thoughts from miles away. And, my fathers trust you and your family with my safety. They know you'll protect me if it's required."

Edward didn't comment or agree with her because he knew she already knew that. Not expecting it, and really, it came out of nowhere and silently, Edward startled when a misty-blue dog appeared her inside the car on the back seat.

"That's fine, Snowflake," said Sirius, "We're just glad you're safe. As for training, brilliant idea pushing it back, in fact, it's the best idea you've ever had," he said proudly and she laughed and Edward, snorted, shaking his head, knowing how lazy her father was. "I'll have Paul contact the rest of the pack to let them know. We're off to bed now that we know you're safe, we'll see you in the morning." With that, the misty dog faded into nothingness.

Silence reigned in the car, Hermione having fallen asleep with her hand clutching Edward's as she held it in her lap. As midnight approached, they arrived at the house and after parking the car in the garage, Edward carefully shifted a sleeping Hermione into his arms, not wishing to wake her, and he stepped into the house, frowning at the silence. His eyes darted about, seeing only Jasper perched comfortably on the couch, his nose buried in a magical book Hermione had given him for Christmas. She'd given him a dozen or so books and he'd read all but two, the one sat on the table before him and the one he was currently halfway through reading.

At their entrance, Jasper lifted his gaze, his expression softening as he looked to Hermione sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"She's happy, peaceful," he stated softly, knowingly, not wishing to wake her.

"Where is everyone?" Edward asked.

"Emmet was bored and went hunting, Carlisle was called to the hospital, Alice and Rosalie wouldn't tell me where they were going and Esme wished to take a walk," he shrugged. "How was your little outing?"

"I taught her to drive, despite her fear, she picked it quickly, a few more lessons and she'd easily pass her test."

"Hmmm," hummed Jasper, his mouth twitching into a knowing smirk. "And the rest of the night?"

Edward scowled and shifted on his feet. "That's none of your business."

Jasper held his hands up in surrender. "I was only asking, you know I can _feel_ the difference between you and _in_ you, which means I know you've completed your bond with her. And you know Emmet's going to be so much worse, so if I were you, I'd prepare myself now. It's probably best you have the little witch magic-fy your room 'cause the moment he gets back you know he's going to barge in and made annoying comments and sexual innuendoes."

"He better bloody not or he'll be facing my wand," Hermione muttered sleepily.

Edward looked down at her still-closed eyes and relaxed face and Jasper snorted. "I can't wait, but you best get some sleep, we'll keep watch, just in case."

Nodding, Edward headed for the stairs and straight to his room, kicking the door shut behind him. Once he did so, Hermione's eyes fluttered open, taking in the floor to ceiling windows, forest views, grey and white colour scheme and almost every surface covered in books.

"A vampire after my own heart," she sighed and he chuckled at her, crossing over to the double bed and gently setting her down, not admitting that he'd deliberately bought it for _her_.

Before, he hadn't required the use for one but after discovering that she was his mate and learning that she slept better when either he, Lahote or Black were with her, he'd also hoped she'd perhaps spend the night at his house, allowing them some time for themselves, and he wanted to be prepared.

She sighed happily and rolled over onto her stomach, pulling the pillow over to her and burying her face in it. He chuckled.

"Hermione, you can't sleep in your clothes," he said, perching on the mattress.

"Hmmm, I suppose you'd have me sleeping naked."

He tipped his head; now that she mentioned it...

Knowing his train of thought, she giggled at him and turned to face him, pressing her cheek into the cold pillow, giving him a sleepy smile.

"You know what I've just realised?"

"What?" He arched an eyebrow.

"My knickers are still in the car and you just carried me into the house. I hope to Merlin I didn't flash Jasper, I might have to _Obliviate_ him."

Possessiveness flashed through Edward's eyes but he sighed in relief before scowling down at the floor, seeing Hermione raising an eyebrow.

He cleared his throat. "Jasper is laughing his ass off downstairs," he started and her mouth twitched, "And he assures us, he saw nothing."

"Good," she hummed.

"You know everyone is going to know by the morning, right?"

"I know," she shrugged, unconcerned. "But what have I got to be embarrassed about? I'm an of age teenager that has sex with her incredibly handsome boyfriend. You're so much like Jacob."

"Excuse me?" He looked offended and she laughed.

"It's not an insult," she promised. "Paul is so blasé and shameless, but Jacob's easily embarrassed and worried due to a lack of experience. With you, however, I believe it is less your experience and more the time period in which you were born. "

He frowned thoughtfully, thinking that perhaps she was right. Some of his mannerisms and ideals were a little... Old school.

"So, my darling vampire, might I steal a shirt and perhaps some underwear?"

His eyes lit up as he looked to her, the image of her draped in his clothing flashing through his mind and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. He was used to seeing her wearing Lahote's and Black's clothing to bed and sometimes for comfort when she lounged about the tent, but she'd never worn his clothing. And now, she'd be wearing _his_ clothing, sleeping in _his_ bed in _his_ house, smelling of _him_. The scent of Lahote and Black was always surrounding her, sticking to clothes and her skin, but now, it was so faint and covered by his own scent, it was hard to notice. And by the morning, she'd only smell of him.

He stood from the bed and crossed over to his well-concealed drawers, removing a blue t-shirt and dark boxers, returning to the bed and holding them out to her. She took them with a smile of thanks before she stood to her feet, removed her wand from her boot and left it on the bed, she kicked off her boots and slipped the boxers on beneath her dress, having to make a little magical alteration so they better fit but she was too tired to bother transfiguring them into women's underwear. Silently, with her back to him, she reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it up and over her body, feeling Edward's eyes watching her movements as she unclipped her bra and set it on the bed and then she covered herself with his t-shirt, it falling to her mid-thigh. Smiling at the cool and comfortable material, she gathered her clothing and boots and set them on and by the chaise lounge before returning to the bed and snuggling under the covers, sighing happily.

"Jasper is right, you might want to use magic on the room to stop Emmet from getting in," said Edward.

Laughing, Hermione quickly locked the door and silenced the room.

"There, the door's locked and I've placed a _Silencio_ around the room, no one can hear us."

"And those doors, too," Edward tipped his head towards the double doors that opened out onto nothing, something she thought dangerous but didn't comment as she locked that door, too.

"Do you suppose he's a bit of a peeper?"

Edward snorted. "I wouldn't put it past him," he nodded.

Sighing, she cast a quick Illusion Charm over the windows and then buried her wand beneath the pillow.

"There, he won't be able to see anything either, it'll appear as though his vision's gone spotty."

Smiling, Edward kicked off his shoes, rounded the bed and he switched on the electric heater he'd purposely bought for Hermione to keep her warm, knowing that the house could get quite cold in the winter and that his family didn't feel the cold as Hermione would. With than done, he climbed onto the bed beside her and over the covers and she automatically shifted closer, snuggling into him.

"Get some sleep," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Dream for me."

She smiled with her eyes closed. "And what should I dream of?" She asked.

"If I were capable of dreaming, I am certain I would dream of you."

"Well, I see no point in dreaming of you. Dreams are the imagination of the sleeping mind, you, my vampire, are my reality."

~000~000~000~

**Wednesday 27th December 2006**

"Morning,"

"Morning," she sighed sleepily, rolling over onto her back and stretching with her hands above her head, being satisfied when she heard something click. "What time is it?"

"A little after eight," he answered.

"Merlin, that's the longest sleep in I've _ever_ had."

She contemplated burrowing back into the covers and into their warmth before she changed her mind and sat up in bed.

"The shower's free, if you want to use it."

"I don't have any clothes with me," she pursed her lips.

He arched an eyebrow. "You are aware that two fashionistas live here, right?"

She snorted. "I'm aware; they're _still_ trying to get access to my wardrobe."

Shaking his head, he helped her out of bed and then led her to the bathroom, leaving her to clean herself with the soap she found there and she brushed her teeth with a toothbrush she conjured. She was sure to be quick before she magically dried herself and swaddled in a towel, smiling when there was a knock on the door and she called for Edward to step in.

He had a pile of clothes in his grasp and taking them from him she quickly dressed, arching an eyebrow at both the clothing and Edward's eyes deliberately roaming her figure. It seemed Rosalie, knowing they were to be training, had opted to lend her some workout clothing. Black high-waisted yoga pants that fit fairly well in the leg given they were close in height, a white sports bra that required Hermione to alter the size given that her breasts were nowhere near the same size as Rosalie's, and she wore the matching black jacket over the top. Once she zipped it up, Edward frowned in disappointment and Hermione giggled at him.

"She is aware that whilst she doesn't feel the cold, I do, yes? It's below zero outside and there's snow on the ground, this isn't going to protect me from the cold."

"I know, she told me to tell you to suck it up and stop complaining."

"Charming," she scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"She said if you're going to kick everyone's ass, you best look good doing it," he shrugged, his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Of course, she did," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Esme's making you breakfast."

"She doesn't have to do that," her brow furrowed.

"I know, but it's not often she gets to cook," he shrugged.

After Hermione quickly slipped on her boots and slipped her wand inside, Edward took her hand and led her downstairs, stepping into the living room to see Rosalie and Emmet in the living room, one watching TV and the other flipping through a magazine, whilst Esme was in the kitchen. Carlisle had yet to return from the hospital and Alice and Jasper had disappeared.

"Morning, Dear," greeted Esme cheerfully.

"Morning," Hermione smiled at her.

"Eggs Benedict and cinnamon toast?" She questioned.

Hermione blinked slowly. "Oh, err, perfect, thank you," she replied. She'd never had either in her life.

Esme beamed at her and Edward headed into the kitchen to make her a cup of tea and Hermione took a seat on the couch, Emmet's eyes immediately darting to her, his mouth tugging into a smirk.

"Don't," she warned.

"Don't what?" He asked innocently.

"Voice your thoughts," she narrowed her eyes. "Edward, does he wish to voice his thoughts?" She asked.

He snorted. "Not if he wishes to remain in one piece," he replied knowingly. "Don't do it," he also warned the large vampire. "If I'm her mate and she sets me on fire, I can only imagine what she'd do to you."

Emmet pouted before his eyes lit up once more. "So, now that you've taken Eddie's V-card..." She heard Edward splutter and Hermione glared at the large, grinning vampire, seeing Rosalie arched an eyebrow, her amused gaze darting between her mate and Hermione. "...When's the wedding?"

"Technically, we're already married," she shrugged.

"I'm sorry?" Esme's soft voice flittered to her ears as she briefly popped her head out of the kitchen to look at her.

"When I completed my bonds with Edward, Paul and Jacob, it more or less melded our souls together, and that is highly powerful and ancient magic. Magically and in the eyes of Wizarding Law, we are already married."

Esme blinked slowly, looking a little disappointed, Rosalie looked amused and Emmet snorted.

"Well, damn..." He shook his head. "Don't be telling Alice that, she'll throw a fit if she finds out you're already married and she can't plan an over the top wedding."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione said, "I'm not one for over the top dramatics, that's more of my father's thing." They snorted at her, knowing it was true. "As for a wedding, we will have one, just so we're not cheated out of the experience and so it can be done on paper, so to speak. My father would never forgive me if I didn't give him the opportunity to walk me down the aisle or throw him a party he won't remember," she sighed and they snorted.

When Esme called Hermione's name, she took a seat at the breakfast bar and happily ate her breakfast and drank her tea, complimenting a beaming Esme on her cooking skills whilst also fending off Emmet's constant comments, innuendoes and questions. Until she grew bored of it.

"Esme?" Hermione questioned. "You have a lovely home and I promise, should anything be damaged, if I am not able to magically repair it, I will pay for the damages."

Before the motherly vampire could voice her confusion, Hermione smiled sweetly and then lobbed the Bat Bogey Hex at an unsuspecting Emmet. The tall vampire cried and shrieked, stumbling through the living room and trying to fight off the flying snot bats, seeming to completely forget that he had super speed and could easily outrun them if he so wished.

Edward chuckled and Rosalie smiled, watching as Emmet twisted and turned and ran and jumped before he tripped over his own feet, unexpectedly tumbling straight through one of the glass plate windows, landing on the ground outside with a loud 'thud'.

Esme gasped and blinking in surprise, Hermione slowly stood from her stool and approached the window, lifting her wand and muttering a _Repairo_ , but nothing happened.

"There's too much damage," Hermione frowned thoughtfully, looking at the thousands upon thousands of shattered glass shards that littered both the floor of the house and the ground outside. "I can clean it up easily enough but I can't magically repair it. I'll pay for the repairs," she promised.

"No," Rosalie laughed and shook her head, coming to a stop beside Hermione, looking down at the sight of Emmet crying and shrieking, trying to fight off the flying snot bats, his hands waving about madly and batting them away before he ran face-first into a tree. " _I'll_ pay for the repairs..." She laughed. "You've almost got them all, Honey, keep going!" Rosalie cupped her hands around her mouth and called down to Emmet encouragingly. "I think he deserves a second hexing," she said to Hermione after folding her arms over her chest.

Hermione looked to her and snorted. "That's your mate."

"And?" She arched an eyebrow. "You set Edward on fire all the time," she argued. "Come on, I'll pay you to do it," she offered.

Edward snorted and came up behind Hermione, pressing a second mug of steaming hot tea into her hand before he folded his arms around her, his chest to her back and he rested his chin atop her head, his mouth twitching in pride and amusement as he watched a panicking and hysterical Emmet.

"She's wealthier than all of us combined," he pointed out, barely glancing at her.

"Fine," she huffed before a smirk tugged at her mouth and her folded arms dropped by her sides, Edward arching a questioning eyebrow at her devious expression. "You should know, he's been making comments about your sex life for most of the night, coming up with wild theories and stories, not to mention, about Black and Lahate, too. For weeks."

"What!" Hermione squeaked.

Rosalie nodded. "He's been trying to convince the others to take bets on when you'd fall pregnant, the gender of the baby and who'd be the first to knock you up..."

Edward gave Rosalie an amused glance as she smiled smugly when Hermione's expression darkened and she wordlessly handed her mug to Edward who took it without hesitation, watching as she stormed forward, down the steps and proceeded to lob hexes and curses at Emmet's already abused form.

"Jasper's going to be pissed he missed this," said Rosalie, wincing when Hermione hit Emmet in the arse with something that had him shrieking like a little girl that had just seen a spider on her bedroom wall.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Esme approached, stopping beside a thoroughly amused and entertained Rosalie.

"Oh dear," she said before a laugh escaped when Hermione turned Emmet's hair and eyebrows neon pink, swearing to leave it that way for an entire week.

Edward laughed and leaned against the now glassless window frame, a mug of tea in hand and waiting for his witch to be done hexing the crap out of his brother.

God, did he love his mate with all of his cold, dead heart.


End file.
